The Housing Minister says he hopes to bring new measures to Cabinet next week to deal with the housing crisis.
He's admitted the Government needs to do more in the private rental sector.
Eoghan Murphy was responding to criticism of the government's approach to the issue, after the latest homeless figures were published yesterday.
They show 6,480 adults and 3,784 children were living in emergency accommodation in February.
It's the first time the official figures have passed the 10,000 people mark.
Campaigners and opposition parties have strongly criticised the government as a result.
Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Labour all said that the Government's housing policy has failed.
Labour's Jan O'Sullivan called for "emergency legislation to halt evictions and cap rents".
Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin insisted the Government's housing policy - dubbed 'Rebuilding Ireland' - "must go".
The Inner City Helping Homeless group, meanwhile, called on the Housing Minister to "consider his position".
'Striking a balance'
Minister Murphy today said the Government is looking at additional measures that are needed to deal with the crisis.
He acknowledged more needs to be done, and will be hoping to bring further proposals to Cabinet next week.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, he said: "We know that we need to do more in the rental sector, to give greater protections to tenants. That legislation is making its way through the Dáil with the help of the opposition.
"In all of this, we have people presenting to emergency accommodation because we're losing landlords to the market.
"We have to make sure we're striking a balance - keep landlords, but also protect tenants."
He added: "What I believe is that we have to build more homes... this is happening now... private homes, but also social housing homes."
