The Taoiseach has said he is hopeful the Ministers for Finance and Environment can reach agreement by the end of the week on housing issues.

Enda Kenny was responding to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who referred to reports about conflict between "AK47" - Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly - and "Budda" - Minister for Finance Michael Noonan - over introduction of rent control.

Mr Martin said Mr Kelly had staked his reputation on the introduction of rent controls and that he had said it was his number one priority, but Fine Gael sources were saying his plans were “dead in the water”.

‘Anonymous cowards’

The Fianna Fáil leader compared Mr Kelly to the Chelsea soccer club manager and said he was giving a “José Mourinho-type response, he goes into third person and attacks the ‘cowards, the anonymous cowards’ briefing against him. He’s talking about his colleagues, Fine Gael senior Ministers.”

But while all this was going on there were 1,500 homeless children in the State and the numbers were only going to increase. “Indecision,” he added, “is shoving up the rents.”

He told Mr Kenny the housing crisis was “a shocking indictment of your leadership and lack of focus”.

‘Calamity Kelly’

He said “all we get is a Minister calling Fine Gael a load of cowards, and they calling him Calamity Kelly”.

He said people were living in hotels while the Government “continues with the pseudo warfare going on through media”.

But the Taoiseach said the two Ministers had had a very good meeting on Monday in discussion on a range of issues that needed to be dealt with, including modular housing, local authority houses that had been repaired for habitation, and social housing.