CSO must take charge of monthly homeless report – Ó Broin

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has stated that the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy can no longer be trusted with the monthly homeless figures and the CSO must now be tasked with the publication of the data.

Deputy Ó Broin was speaking as a news report at the weekend indicated that the 1,600+ people removed from homelessness figures by the Minister for Housing are still accessing homeless services.

The Dublin Mid-West TD said:

“The data collected from individual local authorities by Irish Times journalist Kitty Holland shows that Homeless people were removed from the monthly statistics in every region except the midlands (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath).

“They were removed despite the local authorities countering the claims made by Minister Murphy that the 1,600 people removed from the figures had been miscategorised and were staying in ‘own-door’ temporary accommodation which is not ‘traditional’ emergency accommodation.

“According to Galway City Council, which collates homeless figures for Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, 117 people, including 66 children, were removed from statistics. This is despite the Council stating that the clients are still categorised as homeless.

“In Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow, 111 individuals, including 60 children, were removed despite still being recorded on the PASS system as accessing homeless services. Similarly, in Cork and Kerry, 96 people, 35 of them children, were removed from the figures.

“In Clare and Limerick, 119 people were removed. In Louth, Monaghan, and Cavan, 211 were removed. In Donegal, Sligo, and Leitrim, 13 were removed and in Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford, 53 homeless people were removed.

“While in Dublin, 886 individuals, including 594 children, are no longer counted in the official monthly homelessness figures.

“Minister Murphy is clearly attempting to redefine the definition of homelessness. Families in ‘own door accommodation’ with no tenancy arrangement and still recorded on the PASS system are in fact homeless.

“The Minster has undermined the credibility of the monthly homeless figures irreparably in recent months.

“The CSO must now assume responsibility for the collection and publication of the monthly figures.

“This report must also include rough sleepers, women and children in Tusla-funded domestic violence emergency accommodation, and those adults and children with leave to remain but using direct provision centres as emergency accommodation.”