The Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin has claimed that it will take time to solve the current homelessness crisis which is rife throughout the country.
Mr Howlin also said that new homes could not be built with the ‘click of a finger’. Mr Howlin’s remarks come after fellow Government Ministers Alan Kelly and Michael Noonan held a private meeting last night in a bid to address the current issue. It is believed that a compromise was made between the two ministers that would see landlords having to justify their rent increases by proving they are in line with the current housing market.
Minister Howlin told reporters this morning that the Government has heavily invested in social housing and construction, but it all takes time. Mr Howlin said: “Unfortunately, you can’t just simply start those with the click of a finger, it takes 18 months to two years to get sites indentified, serviced, to get construction underway and houses built.” “That is happening. In the meanwhile, we need to take other measures, some have been taken, others will be taken.”