Opposition figures have criticised Tánaiste Simon Harris's insistence that not everyone in emergency accommodation has a right to be housed by the State.
Earlier this week, Mr Harris said that while everyone has a right to emergency accommodation, a circular issued in 2012 makes it clear that to have a right to State housing, there is a number of criteria, including one around residency.
He was asked on RTÉ radio about an interview he gave to the Irish Times last month, in which he said a "significant number" of people in emergency housing "don't have a housing right in Ireland".
Mr Harris said the Government intends to legislate on a primary legislative basis to be even clearer on this, adding that it must be recognised that it is very hard to have an informed debate if people are not looking at the composition of homelessness and "indeed our migration situation".
Watch: Tánaiste insists not everyone has right to State housing
He said currently within emergency accommodation, it is roughly a 50/50 spread between Irish citizens and non-Irish citizens, which he said is a change.
Speaking today at Leinster House, Sinn Féin's Spokesperson for Housing Eoin Ó Broin said he did not accept the Tánaiste's position.
He told RTÉ News: "Not only do I not accept it, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive are on the record of saying it is simply not true.
"Either the Tánaiste is deliberately misleading the public or he doesn't know what he's talking about.
"To get access to emergency accommodation, in Dublin or anywhere else in the State, you have to be legally resident in the State, full stop, that's the rules.
"Therefore, the people in emergency accommodation today are either born in Ireland or the EU or have a legal right to reside and work in this State.
"I don't understand why the Tánaiste is deliberately misrepresenting the facts."
Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne accused Mr Harris of "playing politics with homelessness".
"People who are in emergency accommodation who are homeless are there because they have a legitimate entitlement to be there.
"The people who Simon Harris is referring to are a combination of what are called European area citizens.
"A quarter of them are from Europe and the UK, they're most likely working here, they're here legitimately.
"So, what is Simon Harris saying? If an Irish person is homeless in London, will the British government say 'we've no room to house you'?"
