What planet is the Taoiseach living on?

CRISIS FEARS OVER EVICTION BAN

- HOLLY CAIRNS

THERE are now just six days until the eviction ban is lifted and thousands more people become homeless.

The stress and anxiety this looming deadline is causing, in homes all over the country, is extraordinary.

Workers are unsure how they will be able to commute to their jobs; parents are unsure if their children will have to change schools; elderly people are contemplating having to leave the only home they have known for decades; and, most importantly of all, workers and families don’t know where they will be sleeping from April 1.

On Friday, the Taoiseach tried to downplay the significance of the Government, supported by a number of Independent TDs, voting to increase homelessness. He said evictions only happen after a court process and judges would be very reluctant to force people to leave their homes with no alternatives.

What planet is the Taoiseach living on? Does he realise there are currently nearly 12,000 people in homeless accommodation – the highest number in the history of the State?

Does he know the majority of homeless families had rented privately before losing their homes? These families lost their homes after they were issued with notices to quit. The Taoiseach may not like to use the word “eviction” – but that is what happening, on a scale we have not seen in generations.