Posted by The issue of homeless and migration will not go away, the Tánaiste has said, insisting that not everyone in emergency accommodation has a right to be housed by the State.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with David McCullagh, Mr Harris was asked about an interview he gave to the Irish Times last month, in which he said a “significant number ” of people in emergency housing “don’t have a housing right in Ireland”.
He replied: “I think there is a bit of nuance here”.
The Minister for Finance said that while everyone has a right to emergency accommodation, a circular issued in 2012 makes it clear that to have a right to State housing, there is a number of criteria, including one around residency.
He said the Government intends to legislate on a primary legislative basis to be even clearer on this.
Mr Harris said it must be recognised that it is very hard to have an informed debate if people are not looking at the composition of homelessness and “indeed our migration situation”.
He said currently it is roughly a 50/50 spread between Irish citizens and non Irish citizens in emergency accommodation, which he said is a change.
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