Updated 18:00
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has shot down proposals to house homeless people in Dublin on ships.
Dublin City Council had been considering plans to accommodate up to 150 people on a rented cruise ship in a bid to ease the current homelessness crisis.
According to the Irish Times, DCC's chief executive Owen Keegan told Minister Murphy that the plan could be revisited in early September, as homeless figures rose to just under 10,000.
However, Minister Katherine Zappone has weighed in to say the idea is worth considering.
The Children's Minister said: "Whether it's in a floating hotel or in any context where there is a [need for] emergency accommodation, that people are able to live within their own unit.
"That they have enough room as a family. If they have to share some common space, so be it but I think the more it's like their own home, the better."
Meanwhile, Minister Murphy ruled out the idea this morning saying it's not suitable for homeless families in need, and more appropriate solutions are being pursued by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.
The cruise ship idea is not suitable for homeless families in need. Better, more appropriate, solutions are being pursued every day by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.
— Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) October 4, 2018
In a statement, Dublin City Council confirmed the cruise ship idea had been considered by the council and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.
The statement explains: "It was felt that this approach would offer a number of advantages relative to other single person emergency accommodation options including speed of delivery and access to higher quality self -contained apartment type accommodation at a competitive cost.
"However, the option is not currently being pursued as the Council/DRHE are confident they will be able to source sufficient additional emergency accommodation to address the requirement of rough sleepers this winter without the need to lease a cruise ship."
