LAST UPDATE | 23 Sep

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has disagreed with comments made by Taoiseach Simon Harris today in which he linked Ireland’s record level of homelessness with migration.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Taoiseach claimed that the record homeless numbers in Ireland are linked to migration and asylum seekers. 

“People understand the fact that homelessness numbers are heavily impacted by the fact we are seeing many people seek protection in our country, seek asylum in our country and many people come from abroad hoping to have a new future in Ireland and immigration, it has many, many pluses, but it has had a challenge there,” the Taoiseach said.

Speaking to reporters in New York this evening, where he has arrived for the UN General Assembly, the Taoiseach said he does not believe he has to clarify any of his comments.

According to the latest figures from the Department of Housing, 10,028 adults and 4,401 children were in emergency accommodation in July, a record number. These figures do not include rough sleepers, people in direct provision centres who have leave to remain in the State, the over 2,000 male asylum seekers without offers of accommodation, or people in domestic refuges.

The President said he has not read the interview, but when asked if he accepts the premise that the shortage of housing in Ireland is caused by people seeking international protection, he responded: “No I do not.”

He said he has a “very definite view” towards the approach to housing.

“I think that the approaches so far have been both limited and damaged by the fact that they’re all responses to the market,” the President said.

He said it was inconceivable to him that the state would own land but wouldn’t be directly building houses.

But I’m not in government as I will, no doubt be reminded.

“And the fact is, I’m not responsible for housing policy, but the views I expressed [when I was a TD], I would be expressing them stronger now,” the President said.

Meanwhile, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy accused the Taoiseach of engaging in a “shameful ‘dog whistle’ attack on asylum seekers to try to divert attention from his party’s responsibility for the housing crisis.”

“Blaming asylum seekers for rising numbers in emergency accommodation, as Simon Harris has done, is not only morally repugnant, it is also a lie. Simon Harris knows very well that asylum seekers are not counted in the emergency accommodation numbers,” Murphy said.

The Taoiseach doubled down on his comments while speaking to media in New York saying:

“If you look at the figures, for example, for the month of July, the single biggest reason that people gave for presenting at Dublin homeless services was exiting direct provision.”

“The point I was making, and I stand by very, very much so, is that over the last number of years, we’ve seen a growing population. Over the last number of years, we’ve seen many people come to our country. I did point out in that interview and reiterating it today, immigration is a good thing,” the Taoiseach added.

“Of course, it’s not the fault of anybody, not to apportion blame, and it’s certainly not to apportion blame to vulnerable people,” he said.

He added: “But the figures speak for themselves”.

Responding to the accusation that his comments were a ‘dog-whistle’, the Taoiseach said: 

“The reality of the situation is, political opponents will continue to critique, and that’s their job and they do it well, but they’re factually wrong on this. There is an absolute direct link in our figures that are published monthly between people exiting direct provision and people presenting at homeless services”.

Earlier, when President Higgins was asked how he would characterise the Government’s handling of the housing crisis, he said he wouldn’t comment on any particular Government.

However, when it was put to him that it is an “abject failure” to have thousands of families homeless, the President said housing policy in Ireland has “failed in many dimensions”.

“The planning is a disaster. There aren’t enough planning officers working for the local authorities,” President Higgins said. 

New York

The President is in New York today where he is speaking in the United Nations headquarters at the Summit of the Future event that is taking place as part of this year’s United Nations General Assembly. 

In his speech, the President spoke of the need for reform of UN institutions to better respond to the world’s most pressing issues including climate change, hunger and poverty. 

“We are living through a pervasive, and deepening, inequality that scars our world. Never have so many had so little and so few accumulated so much without
responsibility,” the President said.

He also decried the return of what he deemed an arms race, noting that global military spending increased to the highest level ever last year.

The President said there has been a “failure to achieve peace, eliminate acute global poverty, hunger, or the consequences of climate change and biodiversity loss.”

He concluded however, by saying that change is possible if the world is willing to foster a “renewal of trust and solidarity”.

Jane Matthews reporting from New York.