The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has critcised as 'highly insentitive' remarks from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar which claimed Ireland's rate of homelessness was low by international standards.
Responding to the Taoiseach's assertion, Congress General Secretary Patricia King said: 'the Taoiseach's attempt to minimise our housing and homeless emergency was highly insensitive and entirely lacking in any sense of empathy for the plight of the 8374 people who are currently homeless.
'they cannot be wished away, nor can this crisis be minimised by some meaningless statistical comparison. They are real people denied the fundamental human right to shelter.
"We are one of the richest countries in the world yet, to our shame, we have a housing and homeless emergency and instead of trying to minimise the problem, the government should end their denial, declare a national emergency and bring forward urgent, workable solutions.
"All the indications are that the housing crisis will get worse rather than better and the Taoiseach should not seek any succour in misleading and meaningless statistical comparisons," Ms King concluded.
For more information, contact Macdara Doyle: 087 9174171
ENDS
