The country is facing a 'tsunami of homelessness' as we come into the winter.
That is according to People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who is calling for a ban on evictions.
The Attorney-General has been asked to rule on whether the Government could ban all evictions until after the winter.
It has concerns such a move outside of the COVID-19 pandemic would not stand up to a legal challenge.
Deputy Murphy told Pat Kenny: "We've been calling for an eviction ban for a long time now.
"We're currently facing a tsunami of homelessness coming into the winter; we have record homeless figures at the moment," he said.
"So 10,800 people in emergency accommodation; amongst them [are] over 3,000 children.
"We know the damage that is being done to those children by the horrific instability of living in emergency accommodation."
'Steadily gone back up'
Deputy Murphy said an increase in evictions is compounding the rise in homelessness.
"They went up 58% in the first six months of this year compared to last year.
"We also know what works - to stop these evictions and to bring down homelessness - and that is an eviction ban.
"During COVID we had an eviction ban, and the homeless figures came down by just over 10,000 to about just over 8,000.
"Then when the eviction ban was lifted, the homeless figures have steadily gone back up.
"Now they're touching 11,000 - so at the very least we need an eviction ban for the winter, we think we need a permanent one."
'Housing disaster'
Labour Party leader and barrister Ivana Bacik has said she believes a ban on evictions would be constitutional.
"I think there's a way of doing this; it was done during the COVID pandemic, it was justified then because we were absolutely in an emergency situation.
"But as we face into a bleak winter, cost of living crisis, a housing disaster, energy crisis also, I think there are strong grounds for saying 'This can be done on a time-limited basis.'
"Certainly there are ways to ensure, for example, that there are measures in place where somebody is breaking laws and so on," she added.
