The Taoiseach said asylum seekers are driving up homeless figures: experts say it’s far more complicated [Video]

LAST WEEKEND, TAOISEACH Simon Harris raised eyebrows over comments he made linking record homelessness to an upsurge in people seeking asylum in Ireland.

His remarks led to accusations that the Taoiseach was deflecting blame for the housing crisis away from the Government and on to vulnerable people.

Subsequent news analysis of Harris’ words also pointed out that his remarks could not be accurate, because asylum seekers are not counted in monthly homeless statistics.

Those figures have climbed to staggering heights this year, and the number of people living in emergency accommodation in Ireland has skyrocketed since the Government took office in the middle of 2020.

The reasons behind that trend are far more complex than immigration on its own.

Experts say the lack of housing for those in long-term homelessness is not enabling the numbers to fall, while factors like landlords leaving the private rental market are playing a much …