Mayo Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh has said that homeless numbers remain high in Mayo, saying: "The latest report from the Department of Housing shows that in May there were 324 people homeless in the West which is a 4% increase on the previous month.
“Numbers revealed in the May homeless report from the Department of Housing do not show the real extent of the crisis as they only count people in emergency.
"Since the no-fault eviction ban was put in place, no additional emergency accommodation has been put in place in Mayo. We know the true figure will be much higher, as the statistics don’t capture everyone experiencing homelessness.
"Sinn Féin have been urging the Minister for Housing to put in place an emergency response for over a year now. Such a response would include suspending planning and procurement powers to deliver additional social and affordable housing using modular building technologies and vacant properties; increasing and accelerating the social and cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme; and crucially restoring the ban on no fault evictions until the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation start to fall.
"This government is not taking this homeless crisis seriously. No Minister in modern times has presided over such a high and ever-rising level of adult and child homelessness. It is clear they do not have the political will to tackle this crisis and both reduce and end long-term homelessness.
"People in Mayo will continue to be made homelessness until this government finally shows the urgency that is needed to get to grips with this crisis."
