Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has defended his Government's record on homelessness by saying some people in emergency accommodation "refuse multiple offers to go on social housing".
Speaking at a Housing For All update report launch, the Fine Gael leader was asked about suggestions from him and fellow launch attendees Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan that the Government's housing policies are working.
Asked how this is the case when the number of people homeless or seeking emergency accommodation in Ireland now stands at a record 12,441, and how he can defend this at the next general election, Mr Varadkar said: "I think we measure success on the number of things we can control.
"The number of new homes built, for example, the number of social houses built, the cost of housing, the number of first-time buyers who are buying their first home.
"One of the measures [success is based on] is going to be homelessness, of course it is.
"But it would be just simply inaccurate to say that the Government has control over things like the number of family break downs that occur, the number of people who are new arrivals who seek emergency accommodation.
"I work with a lot of people who are in emergency accommodation in my constituency.
"There are lots of people who are in emergency accommodation and who refuse multiple offers to go on social housing.
"It's a much more complicated picture than people would like to make out," Mr Varadkar said.
