There should be no rough sleepers on the streets of Dublin this Christmas, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told the Dáil.

Outlining a range of measures taken by the Government, he said on Tuesday he could not speak for everybody. Some people wanted to be on the streets and were in very particular circumstances, he added.

Mr Kenny said the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No 2) Bill would provide stability in the circumstances of those who were homeless because of rent increases.

“The Government has put €4 billion on the table for social housing up to 2020,” he added.

Jonathan Corrie

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said it was a year since a homeless man, Jonathan Corrie, died close to Leinster House.

“One year on, those at the coalface and on the streets are very clear about one thing: the homeless crisis is worse,” he added.

"The numbers sleeping rough in Dublin is on the increase, as well as in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, and across the country.''

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said there been lots of assurances from the Government, since a year ago, that matters would improve. But since then the housing crisis had escalated, with chaos heaped upon chaos by the Government, he added.