Updated 15:25
Thousands of protesters have turned out for a major protest highlighting the depth of the country's housing and homeless crisis.
The Raise the Roof Rally took place outside the Dáil this afternoon.
Organised by homeless charities and a coalition of groups and opposition parties, the protest is demanding a radical change in the Government's housing policy.
It comes after the Government announced a drop in the official number of people accessing emergency accommodation last month – but admitted that it has ‘recategorised’ over 1,600 people out of the official count this year.
Without the three adjustments, in the reports published in March, April and September, the number of people in latest count would have been 11,133.
Thousands have turned out to #RaisetheRoof pic.twitter.com/trSzcU5QHP
— Kacey O'Riordan (@KaceyORiordan) October 3, 2018
"Manipulation"
Today's protest was held to coincide with a Private Members Motion, put forward by People Before Profit, that calls for a range of immediate actions on housing.
The Government is set to lose the motion, after Fianna Fáil opted to back the measure.
In the Dáil, Leo Varadkar admitted the housing crisis is frustrating.
He said: "I know the issue of housing is one of huge concern for people across the country, and many people expressed that concern by attending the protest today.
"I know that lots of people are frustrated by the pace of delivery - I'm frustrated by it too, as is everybody in Government.
"We share those concerns, we share those frustrations, and share the desire to get results much more quickly - and this is something the Government is investing huge resources in, and huge amounts of Government time."
However, he claimed that any suggestion the Government has an ideological objection to social housing is "absolute bunkum".
He told deputies the housing crisis 'is an emergency and we have taken emergency actions', but suggested he wasn't sure what formally declaring it an emergency would achieve.
Meanwhile, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said statistics won't change the problem at hand.
“Just think of the manipulation of the figures in order to keep the homeless count under 10,000,” he said.
“If you are homeless, if you can’t afford the rent, if you are faced with eviction – all the statistics in the world won’t change that.
“What we need is public and affordable housing delivered on a large scale by the Government.”
Big applause when Peter McVerry tells crowd at rally that the housing crisis can’t be solved by private sector - vote homlessness out #RaisetheRoof #SocDems pic.twitter.com/alIwAaUe0J
— Social Democrats (@SocDems) October 3, 2018
Ahead of the protest, homelessness campaigner Fr Peter McVerry called on the public to come out and show its support.
“I think it is very important that we get a lot of people out to support this – and it is not just about homelessness,” he said.
“This is about people from all walks of life whose living situation is precarious or which places them under huge financial strain.
“There are many, many people who will never, ever be able to get a mortgage and buy their own home – condemned to live in the private rented sector for the rest of their lives with the insecurity of rent and the insecurity of tenure that goes along with that.
“So, a lot of people are affected by the failure of Government’s housing policy.”
Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry will be among the key speakers at the Raise the Roof Rally for Housing, 06-09-2018. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews
The Dáil motion calls for the crises in housing and homelessness to be declared a national emergency and for a doubling of capital expenditure on public and affordable housing.
The motion calls for an emergency building programme of social housing on public lands and the introduction of "aggressive measures" to bring vacant properties back into use.
I can confirm that @fiannafailparty WILL be supporting this evening's cross party motion on the Housing Emergency. When laying out my party's position I will be HONEST about the motion, the issue & what needs to happen to address this emergency. #RaisetheRoof
— Darragh O'Brien (@DarraghOBrienTD) October 3, 2018
Fianna Fáil this afternoon became the last opposition party to pledge its support for the bill.
The party’s housing spokesperson Darragh O’Brien said he will be honest when debating it this evening – and pledged to lay out his take on what needs to happen to address the emergency.
In the Dáil however, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said calling the declaring an emergency will not put a roof over anyone's head.
"As I have acknowledged before, the country faces a housing crisis," he said.
"As I have acknowledged many months ago; this is an emergency.
"A declaration of something does not actually build any houses. It doesn't change any policies. It doesn't provide any resources."
We will be there today to #RaisetheRoof and stand in solidarity with the thousands of people who are either homeless or living in fear of losing their home. Please join us! #HomelessnessNotNormal #TheBigConversation pic.twitter.com/2VInZ1iEyD
— Simon Communities (@SimonCommunity) October 3, 2018
Students at the Raise The Roof protest outside Leinster House, 03-10-2018. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews
"Sleight of hand"
This morning, the Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) charity said it is time to “show the Government that we can’t accept their indifference to resolving the crisis.”
The charity said the removal of hundreds of people form the official emergency accommodation figures is not acceptable.
“Moving people from one list to another isn’t solving their housing needs but is another sleight of hand by the Government to spin the figures,” it said.
The view from the stage at #RaiseTheRoof pic.twitter.com/CQHhDWxpDc
— Kacey O'Riordan (@KaceyORiordan) October 3, 2018
ICHH chief executive Anthony Flynn said the Government has “for far too long relied on the private market to fix a social crisis.”
“The housing crisis is now affecting all walks of life from students to teachers to working professionals and the new face of homelessness, children,” he said.
“Now is the time to change that.
“A major shift in policy is required and today is about informing the Government of that. “Housing is a national crisis and it needs to be treated that way.”
Today is the day we #RaiseTheRoof outside Dáil Eireann to show the government that this can't go on. The @_HousingCrisis coalition has brought so many groups together and we need people on the streets today.
We will be outside the Dáil from 12.30-2pm.#RaiseTheRoof pic.twitter.com/754ivOVj5A
— ICHHDUBLIN (@ICHHDUBLIN) October 3, 2018
