Minister for Housing James Browne has no grasp on the gravity of the housing and homelessness crisis plaguing Ireland, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne said:
“The Minister for Housing yesterday admitted that he has no estimated timelines for homelessness in Ireland to plateau, never mind fall. At the end of April, a record 17,548 people were living in homeless emergency accommodation, 5,604 of whom were children.
“Speaking to Virgin Media last night, Minister James Browne was unable to provide even a rough estimate for when homelessness may level out, saying that he ‘doesn’t think it’s a timing thing.’
“I can assure the Minister that those families experiencing the plight of homelessness very much feel it’s ‘a timing thing’ as they are forced to spend weeks, months and even years without a home to call their own.
“What are they doing in the Department of Housing? The Minister says that he wants to ‘move away from targets’ when it comes to housing and homelessness – this is a cop-out, a way to bury his Government’s shortcomings. You can’t fail to reach a goal you haven’t set.
“Minister Browne claimed that only when the number of homes being delivered exceeds the number of people in need of a home will we see homelessness begin to level out. Under the Minister’s watch, we have no hope of achieving this, as we learned this morning that the rate of new housing commencements has fallen to levels last recorded six years ago and below the 10-year average.
“Of all the vacuous statements made by successive Fianna Fáil Housing Ministers over the years, each of whom contributed to creating this mess we’re in, Minister Browne’s claim that there is no longer a need for housing targets is their magnum opus of bluster.
“Every housing policy that Minister Browne has progressed has worsened the housing crisis, which we have watched develop from a disaster to an all-out social catastrophe under his watch and as a result of changes such as March 1st’s rental laws, which caused eviction notices to rise to the greatest level since the famine.
“Only corporate landlords and vulture funds are benefiting from Government housing policies, not ordinary families, who have been kicked out of their properties in their droves as a result.
“If the Government is to stem the rise in homelessness, it must listen to viable solutions from the other side of the House. It must start by immediately introducing a three-year ban on no-fault evictions for all tenancies, and a blanket ban on rent increases, before housing becomes even less attainable.”
June 23rd, 2026