Media Release - People Before Profit-Solidarity
25th April 2025
Immediate release
Says housing election lies mean Government has no democratic mandate for its pro-landlord, pro-developer housing policies
Says state construction company with funding and capacity to build tens of thousands of social and affordable homes is the only route out of this crisis
Figures released by the Department of Housing today show that 15,418 people, including 4,675 children, were in emergency accommodation at the end of March, the highest number ever recorded.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said “Another grim record has been set today by a Government that remains ruthless in serving the interests of developers and landlords, many of them in the ranks of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Lowry group TDs, at the expense of ordinary people”.
“Every month the numbers in emergency accommodation, that do not include people sleeping rough, couch-surfing, staying in domestic violence refuges or unaccommodated asylum seekers, go higher. At 15,418, the number of people in emergency accommodation is 1,552 people higher than a year ago. That's an increase of over 10% in 12 months”.
“Behind the numbers are thousands of personal stories of poverty, anxiety and despair. This crisis is entirely of this and previous Governments’ making. Now the new government is making a very bad situation even worse by imposing restrictions on and reducing funding for the tenant-in-situ scheme”.
“The Minister and the Government know this will result in even more homelessness, but they don’t care. It is Government policy to knowingly and unnecessarily blight the lives of thousands of people. Many children will bear the effects for life. That is unforgivable”.
“The Government lied about housing completions during the election campaign to get back into power. This invalidates the Government’s claims of a democratic mandate for its pro-landlord, pro-developer housing policies. They have no such mandate”.
“The reality is that this crisis will continue unless and until the state takes the lead in home building. A state construction company, with the funding and capacity to build tens of thousands of social and affordable homes, is the only route out of this crisis and an end to the unnecessary human suffering”.