Senator Aubrey McCarthy

Last week...

I, well, it's two weeks ago now, but I had a family in who, with two kids and parents, they ran behind in their rent and social housing.

They had arrears of 14,000, which, you know, can't be allowed either.

So they were evicted.

They're now in a family hub on Gardiner Street, which is costing the state a multiple of the 14,000.

And the kid who wants to be a basketball player is getting a bus from Gardiner Street every day to train in Tala, where he lived.

You know, so there's no joint up thinking.

We need to look at ways of solving the crisis.

The fix for that is prevention.

You don't allow the family to become homeless in the first place.

Because I know it makes sense, they have arrears.

So one department is saying we can't tolerate that.

But then the other department of government is funding Gardiner Street, which is going to cost a multiple of the £14,000.

So all I'm saying is you need joint up thinking.

This is a crisis.

A crisis should be temporary.

You come up with a fix and then we move on.

In 2016, Pat, I remember being on your show before,

I appeared before the joint houses of the Oireachtas.

Simon Coveney was the Minister for Housing.