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Thousands Protest In Dublin Over Housing Crisis

Thousands of people have taken to the streets to highlight the housing crisis. The Raise the Roof Ra...
TodayFM
TodayFM

3:40 PM - 3 Oct 2018



Thousands Protest In Dublin Ov...

News

Thousands Protest In Dublin Over Housing Crisis

TodayFM
TodayFM

3:40 PM - 3 Oct 2018



Thousands of people have taken to the streets to highlight the housing crisis.

The Raise the Roof Rally has seen student and trade unions, homeless charities and civil liberty groups come together at Leinster House.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) says they want to see more purpose built affordable student accommodation.

Students join a protest outside the Dáil over the accommodation crisis | Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

It comes after the Government announced a drop in the official number of people accessing emergency accommodation last month – but admitted that it has 're-categorised' over 1,600 people.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said statistics won't change the problem.

"I just think it's manipulation of the figures in order to keep the homeless count under 10,000.

"But listen - if you're homeless, if you can't afford the rent, if you're faced with eviction: all the statistics in the world won't change that.

"What we need is housing delivered on a large scale by the Government".

Students  join the Raise The Roof protest outside Leinster House | Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitted the crisis is frustrating.

"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."

A Dáil motion is calling for the crises in housing and homelessness to be declared a national emergency.



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