Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Éoin Ó Broin has urged the Minister for Housing to address his "contradicted" claims about the homeless figures.

Minister Eoghan Murphy previously insisted that there had been an 'erroneous miscategorisation' of the people in the March homeless report, following the reported absence of almost 600 people.

Speaking at yesterday's Oireachtas Housing Committee, 17 May, Deputy Ó Broin revealed: "Information from councils in Dublin, Louth, Meath, Waterford, Limerick and Kildare presented to today's Housing Committee flatly contradict the Ministers claims that he did not seek to have homeless families removed from the homeless figures. It also contradicts his claim that families were removed with the agreement of the Councils in question."

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"Either the Minister for Housing does not understand the difference between a tenancy and a temporary Section 10 funded emergency placement which means he is not competent to hold office, or he does understand this distinction and approved the removal of homeless families from the homeless figures which means he is not fit to hold office."

Mr Ó Broin also urged the Minister not to introduce his proposed change to the definition of homelessness.

He added: "This is neither justified nor appropriate and the Minister must reverse course and return to the homeless figures all those adults and children living in temporary emergency accommodation. If he refuses to do this, he will not only have undermined public confidence in the homeless figures but also in his ability to do his job." 

(CM/MH)