The Housing Minister has defended the Government's record in dealing with the homelessness crisis, saying it's a "complex" issue that remains a priority.
Eoghan Murphy - who narrowly survived a no confidence vote last week - was speaking at the Oireachtas housing committee today.
The latest figures show more than 10,000 people remain in emergency accommodation across the country.
The Government's plan to address the crisis - Rebuilding Ireland - has been widely criticised by opposition politicians, as well as several major housing and homelessness organisations.
However, Minister Murphy insisted he is working hard to fix the problem.
He said: "Some commentators on homelessness, be they expert or not, would suggest that nothing is being done [and] that policy is failing completely.
"But that is untrue, and it is unfair to the hundreds of local authority staff and our partners in the NGO sector... working on the frontlines, up and down this country, doing their utmost to assist vulnerable households."
He added: "There are a myriad of personal, situational and financial reasons for homelessness.
"It's a very complex issue: resolving it continues to be a key priority for my department."
He acknowledged there are still too many people in emergency accommodation, and that his department was working with local authorities to ensure everyone who needs accommodation gets it.
Social housing
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that only 35% of the state's targeted number of new social housing units for 2019 were built in the first nine months of this year.
The figures are in the latest Rebuilding Ireland report, which the Housing Minister presented to the Oireachtas committee today.
Minister Murphy wants 6,200 new build council homes to be developed this year - but, as of September, only 2,219 were delivered.
Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin has expressed doubts whether the target will be met by the end of the year.
He argued: "In previous years they have met their targets, but this year the target - albeit very modest - is still larger than last year.
"If the Government is to meet its targets by the end of the year, they have a lot of catching up to do."
