Sinn Fein have tabled a motion of no confidence in the Government’s housing minister Eoghan Murphy.
The motion was tabled by the Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin O Broin after the announcement that they would put the motion forward at a party think-in last week.
Mr Murphy, who has been minister for housing for 15 months, has come under increased pressure during the summer as homeless figures threatened to hit 10,000.
During his tenure, homelessness has increased 25%, and children now represent one in three homeless people in Ireland.
Criticism came to a boil last month when a homeless family with seven children were forced to sleep in a Garda Station due to a lack of emergency accommodation, and a number of protests took place around Dublin, occupying derelict property, as well as the minister’s own office.
Mr O Broin said the Government had failed to tackle the homelessness issue and has described the figures as a national crisis.
“Fine Gael’s housing policies are not only failing to tackle the housing crisis, they are actually making things worse.
“They have been in office for seven years and during that time homelessness has reached unprecedented levels.
“During their first term of office they slashed investment in social and affordable housing and cut staffing levels in council housing departments.
“Meanwhile, the minister responsible attacks local authorities, local councillors, and opposition parties in the Dail for the failures of his Government.
“During his months in office, he has opted for spin over substance and, crucially, has not been willing to accept that his policies are failing.
“Minister Murphy continues to defend the indefensible.
“He is so out of touch and out of his depth that he doesn’t even realise that what he is doing is making the crisis worse.”
Mr Murphy said the motion of no confidence was Sinn Fein “chasing headlines” when it was first announced last week.
