Flanagan not against CSO counting the homeless

CHARLIE Flanagan has signalled the Government would be prepared to hand over responsibility for collecting homelessness figures to the Central Statistics Office because of an ongoing dispute over their accuracy.

Figures published last week showed there are currently 9,724 adults and children living in emergency accommodation, but Opposition parties say the true figure is much higher.

Asked yesterday if he would be willing to allow the CSO to take over counting from the Government, the Justice Minister replied: ‘It’s important that there would be expert views and eyes cast on this issue.’

On Saturday, an estimated 10,000 people marched through Dublin in protest at the Government’s handling of the homelessness crisis.

Appearing on RTÉ’s The Week In Politics, Minister Flanagan said ‘the sight of thousands of people marching on the streets of our capital in the run-up to Christmas is not pleasant’. He added: ‘I want to acknowledge, however, that there is unprecedented funding available for house building next year.’

But Sinn Féin and Labour have been deeply critical of an order issued by Government to local authorities some months ago, instructing them to stop counting certain housing needs provided under Section 10 funding – funding which is specifically designated for homelessness.

Labour housing spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan said: ‘The figures are getting worse. It’s over 10,000 if you count the figures correctly.’

Mr Flanagan, however, dismissed criticisms of the Government’s record on delivery. ‘I don’t subscribe to the view that my party, Fine Gael, is in some way ideologically opposed to State intervention in the housing market,’ he added.