THE government is to consider lifting the ban on the provision of bed sits in the private sector in an effort to tackle the homeless crisis.

Tanaiste and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton today said that such a move would be examined as part of plans to increase housing supply.

Landlord representatives have called on the ban to be lifted in recent months, saying that there are more 4,000 bedsits in the capital that could be rented out.

Speaking this morning, Ms Burton said the government will go back to the drawing board in terms of their strategy to increase supply in the rental sector. She said that the previous government effectively “shut down” the provision of bedsits.

“I think one of the issues that I would like to see reviewed is that the previous government made the decision, in good faith and for the best of reasons, to effectively close down a lot of bedsits which were previously available in the Dublin area,” Ms Burton said.

“The reduction in the number of bedsits available has undoubtedly put an awful lot of pressure in terms of the number of places available for single people on their own might find a home,” she added.

The Labour Party leader was speaking as the government continues to be criticised over its handling of the homeless crisis.

She expressed her condolences with the family of Jonathan Corrie - the homeless man who died on Molesworth Street while sleeping rough on Monday morning.

“I know that he was one of the people sleeping rough, with whom there had been a lot of interactions. But it’s a very sad and lonely death. And my condolences to his family and friends,” she said.

Ms Burton pointed out that in many cases, people who are sleeping rough do not want to be moved to rental accommodation.

“That’s a difficult one that a lot of bodies, working in the field, have tried and really try to address.”

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said that she is confident the urgent need for extra beds for the homeless will be met in the coming weeks.

Ms Fitzgerald admitted that there is "clearly an emergency situation" at the moment, but that she is satisfied that it will dealt with in "the coming days and weeks".

Speaking at the Missing Persons Day event in Farmleigh House earlier this morning, the Justice Minister said that the current situation is "complex", and is about "everybody playing a part in a whole variety of ways".

"It is complex, you do need agencies coming together, those dealing with addiction, homelessness, alcohol. There are so many levels to do this, but first thing obviously, you always want to make sure that a person has a bed and roof over their head, and to try encourage them to take that up," she added.

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