"Mass Homeless is the new normal under Fine Gael"- Tóibín
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has responded to the latest homeless figures from the Department of Housing which show that 10,338 people were in emergency accommodation in August, the seventh consecutive month during which there were more than 10,000 people without homes.
An Teachta Tóibín stated:
"The government is continuing to expand on its abysmal track record where the provision of housing for citizens is concerned. The evidence of thousands of people in homelessness points towards a government policy at resigned to a new normal level of mass homelessness.
"We are at the stage where unacceptable homeless figures are no longer seen as completely shocking. The Department's latest figures show that there are 3,850 homeless children, an increase of 70 on the previous figures, and 6,500 homeless adults. Yet this national crisis has completely fallen off the front page which has been consumed with surreal Brexit antics and speculation.
"On a daily basis, homeless individuals and families come to my constituency office in desperate situations. The state of homelessness has wide-ranging repercussions and negatively effects every aspect of a person's life.
"Fine Gael have distorted the housing market by giving competitive advantages to international vulture funds and REITs. We can see from the beef and insurance sector that distorted markets are a mark of this government.
"Aontú is committed to reforming the housing market to ensure that public supply and private supply can meet the needs of our families. Aontú will push against the excessive power of dominant players in the housing market that fuels disastrous boom-bust economics."
