It is a sad indictment of the current government that headlines such as this are becoming more and more common every day.
Statistics just released by the Department of the Environment show a 55% increase in families without accommodation in the first six months of this year. The number has risen from 401 to 620 in this period.
Most of the families affected by homelessness are located in the Dublin region. Since the month of January, there has been a 73% rise in the families being housed in hotels. It is understood that the number of new cases seeking help with the homeless services each month is up by almost 40% since the beginning of this year.
While this social emergency is going on, TDs and Senators enjoy fine dining at the heavily subsidized Dail bar, all kitted out with €20,000 worth of imported porcelain. Recently also, it emerged that Dublin City Council spent over €85,000 on new carpets for two new rooms at Mansion House. Earlier in the year, it was revealed that the Department of the Taoiseach splashed out €100,000 on official photography.
And not to mention the 60 odd billion burned at the Anglo bonfire and the €19m squandered in consultancy fees during the setup of Irish Water.
The numbers and the attitudes of this Government speak for themselves.