Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson says plans for an extension of notice periods for tenants is 'not ideal', but is needed in the short-term.
Eoin Ó Broin was speaking as his party brings a private members bill to Dáil, which seeks a three-month extension of notice periods for tenants certified as being at-risk of homelessness.
He told Newstalk Breakfast something has to change, as homeless numbers continue to rise.
"The long-term solution to this is increased social housing supply.
"But as a short-term emergency measure, we have to try and slow down the rate of families with children presenting as homeless.
"A family spending a very long period of time in emergency accommodation, particularly with children, and the impact that that has on them.... is absolutely enormous".
He says the cross-party bill, which was drafted by the Simon Communities, will see specific changes.
"Where a tenant who has a valid notice to quit is unable to secure alternative accommodation at the point at which they have to exit, a three-month stay on the exit is supplied on foot of a recommendation from the local authority.
"The local authority then has to assist that family [to] secure alternative accommodation.
"It's not an ideal, it's not a long-term measure but we have to reduce the flow of families into homelessness".
He says this would mean a better structure in place for both the tenant and the landlord.
"We are now approaching 9,000 adults and children officially categorised as homeless by the department.
"We could hit that significant 10,000 mark before the end of the year - and therefore we have to have a slowdown mechanism.
"I work with huge numbers of families who are in this situation - often an extra month, two or three makes the difference.
"What we cannot have is tenants over-holding in an unstructured process, which is happening all over the country, at even greater distress to the owners of the property and themselves.
"And that's why a focused structure mechanism like this... is a sensible measure".
