Jen Cummins

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I wish everybody here and throughout the House a very happy Christmas and thank them for what has been my first year and how welcoming they have been. I have been very delighted to see the Taoiseach has given clearance for Santa Claus to come. I wish to raise an issue on the South Circular Road in my constituency, where a number of people are housed in a homeless hostel. Unfortunately, there seems to be an issue with overcrowding there which is spilling out onto the streets and causing antisocial behaviour. That is not welcoming for anybody. My concern and the concern of the people living on that road is because there are so many people living there, it is a fire hazard. A total of 75% of the people who live there are working. They are trying to get back on their feet but they are living in a situation where they are so crammed together, they of course have to go outside. Can anything be done to ensure that when buildings are being repurposed, we are protecting people's privacy and a right to dignity to not live in an absolutely overcrowded situation in bunk beds? When people are trying to get back on their feet, it is very difficult. That has a knock-on effect, not only for them but also for the people who work in that hostel and the people who live in that area.

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