Labour Senator Jimmy Harte has welcomed a new Government policy document that will strive to end homelessness in Ireland by 2016.
The Letterkenny politician, a founding member and director of North West Simon Community, welcomed the plan by Minister for Housing and Planning Jan O’ Sullivan
“Homelessness continues to be one of the most serious indictments of 21st century Ireland, and its very presence is an affront to the core principles of our republic that was created on the foundations of equality for all.
“2016 marks the centenary of the 1916 Rising, and it is vital that we use this historic landmark as an opportunity to right this wrong.
“With that in mind, today’s announcement is a welcomed progression in this regard, and is yet another example of the Labour Party’s commitment to protecting the most marginalised members of our society.”
This policy document aims to end long-term homelessness in Ireland by 2016 through the implementation of a number of ‘housing-led’ approaches that will seek to break the cycle of poverty for homeless people by providing them with stability and security in relation to their tenancies.
Senator Harte added “The utilisation of such ‘housing led’ approaches will not only create a more secure environment for homeless people to gain access to proper, long-term accommodation, but it will also provide better value for the significant amount of public money invested in homeless services, by departing from the current situation where there is a clear over-reliance on expensive emergency accommodation.”