5 July 2025
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
File photo of modern housing
Homelessness figures once again have risen to a new high in Cork, with 655 adults accessing emergency accommodation at the end of May. Currently there are 193 children in Cork and Kerry growing up without a home.
Commenting in recent days, Pádraig Rice, Social Democrats TD slammed the government’s response to homelessness and the housing crisis. He also urged the government to listen to the hundreds of people who attended the housing protest in Cork last week.
Deputy Rice, who represents the Cork South-Central Constituency, said.
“Homelessness in Cork has once again hit a record high. These numbers are the direct result of policy choices made by the government. This is what happens when you do not protect vulnerable renters or prevent them from becoming homeless.
“Behind these grim statistics are lives that have been shattered by a broken system. We simply cannot let appalling levels of homelessness become a new normal.
“It is really difficult to continue to find the words to describe this catastrophe that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have failed to address. These levels of homelessness should never be tolerated.
“This government claims that housing is their highest priority, but where is the evidence of that? House prices, rents and homelessness are all at record highs. Meanwhile, its policy announcements, like its proposed reform of the rental sector have one aim – to drive up rents.
“The government must commit to a radical reset of policy which looks to urgently address homelessness, protect renters, and make owning a home a reality for people in Cork and across the country.
“In Cork last Saturday, hundreds of people protested against years of disastrous housing policies. The Government must now listen and change track because it is clear that the current policies have utterly failed.”