Sinn Féin has said the Governments modular housing is not a solution to the shortage of homes in Ireland.

Housing Spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD said that the provision of modular units may be necessary to boost emergency accommodation supply, however he described the motion as an "ugly and messy emergency measure".

Deputy Ellis said: "If the government wanted to urgently increase the supply of social housing it should have fast tracked planning for the social housing 5 years ago. It could have taken all the money it would spend on emergency accommodation over the last 5 years and put that into delivering social housing. Instead it has waited, it has dragged its heels, it has directly hurt those in housing need and those most at risk of homelessness through cuts and it has done little else bar compile plans and strategies to distract from that inaction and keep the spin doctors in work.

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"I welcome in the motion that it is noted that the new homeless families are coming from the private sector. Will the government now accept the need to properly regulate the private rental market to protect against homelessness? Will the government now accept the private market has every interest in exploiting the crisis and no interest in solving it? Will you accept that your cuts to rent supplement and other basic payments and supports exacerbated the homeless crisis? Will you now accept the need for rent certainty and rent control?"

(CD/LM)