A Cork TD has said that he hopes the need to house Ukrainian refugees will "kick" the the state's response to the Housing Crisis "into gear".
His comments come as the Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien is expected to bring a memo to Cabinet tomorrow with a range of medium and long-term measures to address a severe accommodation shortage.
Included in these measures is the provision of emergency powers for local authorities to bring vacant social homes back into use.
Speaking to RedFM News, Cork South-West TD, Christopher O'Sullivan says not only refugees but also the homeless and asylum seekers need accommodation:
"Should we have done more in terms of accommodation for everybody prior to now? Yes. We know that. That's why the 'Housing For All' plan was launched, where we do aim to build 33,000 houses per annum, over the next few years to accommodate that. We know that there is a challenge there - not just accommodating refugees, but we also have asylum seekers, who have been in Direct Provision for years and of course, people who have been living Ireland and homeless people in cities like Cork City and Dublin and right throughout Ireland. So, of course, it sheds light on accommodation and the housing crisis. But hopefully this will really kick things into gear and that we will see housing being provided on public land and on zoned land so that everybody can be accommodated".
