Dublin City Council's plans to deal with the wave of homelessness when the eviction ban ends has been slammed as "wholly inadequate".
The ban on evictions, which was introduced last winter to prevent people entering homelessness, is due to expire at the end of March. Calls have been made for the ban to be extended due to fears of an "avalanche" of new homeless.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government will make their position clear on the eviction ban before March 9. There is pressure on the Government to extend the ban as the last six homeless reports have all shown a record number of people accessing homeless services
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DCC has been making preparations for the wave of new homeless if the ban is lifted. The local authority plans to have 100 additional emergency accommodation beds for single adults by the end of March as well as 1,250 new beds in family hubs by the end of June. Independent Councillor Noeleen Reilly blasted the plans as "wholly inadequate".
In a response to a query from Cllr Noeleen Reilly, Council boss Owen Keegan said a "serious pinch point" in available emergency accommodation beds from April.
Hew wrote: "Presently the DRHE has approximately 100 additional single adult beds, coming on stream, in quarter1, of 2023. It is anticipated Emergency accommodation for single adults, will contract from the beginning of quarter 2 and reach a serious pinch point in terms of new EA capacity for single adults."
The Council plans to introduce 1,250 beds in six new family hubs by the end of June. Mr Keegan said: "Approximately 1250 beds in 6 new family hub type 2 facilities, are scheduled to come on stream, in the first 6 months of 2023.
"It is anticipated the availability of new EA for families will contract and becoming increasingly difficult, in the second half of 2023."
Cllr Reilly believes "droves" of families will enter homelessness if the ban is lifted. She said: "I have a huge, huge concern that come April if the ban isn't extended that we are going to see droves of families entering homelessness.
"I say that because I have so many people on to me with eviction notices. Everyone is in limbo at the moment, hoping that the eviction ban is extended. We are absolutely heading into a perfect storm here."
She added: "The whole situation is wholly inadequate."
Cllr Reilly was critical of the Council's move towards family hubs. She said: "The problem with Dublin City Council is they are finding it difficult to source additional emergency accommodation.
"There was a decision made a couple of years ago that we would be moving away from hotels and family hubs would be the preferred option because they have cooking and cleaning facilities. But, that in itself, I am not sure how much preparation has gone into actually sourcing additional family hubs.
"It is not like the case with hotels where you hire it out for one day and let it go the next. Family hubs need to be modified to suit people.
Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry also said the plans would not be enough. He said: "If the eviction ban ends, a 100 new beds is not going to make an awful lot of difference.
"There are going to be hundreds and hundreds of evictions after the ban ends." He also was critical of the move towards family hubs.
Fr McVerry said: "Family hubs are not a solution to homelessness. This has been the fear all along as family hubs were brought in - that this would be the solution to families who are homeless.
"Families in the hubs are still homeless. It is still temporary accommodation, they can't settle down, they can't be sure their kids are going to continue going to the same school for the next few years."
Fr McVerry called on the Government to build 7,000 modular homes instead of the planned 700.
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