The homeless figures for the end of March 2026 are a damning indictment of this Government and the previous Government's effort to address of the housing emergency. A record 17,517 people were living in homeless emergency accommodation, including 5,571 children, which is another shocking record. The record shows that evictions result in direct, immediate increases in homelessness figures. Quarter 4 of 2025 showed an increase of 41% in evictions, while quarter 1 of 2026 showed 7,062 eviction notices, up 51% from 6,693 in the same quarter last year. This suggests a tsunami of homelessness figures in the coming months. Eviction notices throw tenants into a highly competitive rental market, where they cannot afford to compete. The rental market is defined by enormous rents and little or no supply. The rents are huge now, with average rents in new properties being €1,744 per month nationally, while existing rents are €1,503 per month nationally. Of course, in Dublin, the figures are much higher, with €2,232 per month for newer rents. Families with children and on lower incomes will experience lifelong negative effects. As family life is impacted, schooling and health are disrupted. These homelessness figures, eviction notices and rent increases are a direct result of Government policies, including the newer rent regulations introduced by the Minister. We need emergency legislation to ban evictions and introduce a rent freeze to reduce rents, stop local authority rent increases and exclude carer's benefits from rent determination. We also need to legislate for the right of tenants to remain in situ during house sales. Emergency legislation, as the Minister of State will know, is provided for in Bunreacht na hÉireann and by precedent, which was in the Financial Emergency measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009 enacted by Fianna Fáil when it crashed the economy. Such an emergency act must also provide for a massive construction programme for affordable and social housing on public land by local authorities, and local authorities must be funded to carry out this programme.

Sentiment score: -0.25