The Taoiseach has defended lifting the winter eviction ban saying keeping the policy long term would be the wrong move.
Leo Varadkar was speaking after new figures showed record homelessness, with more than 12,000 people in emergency accommodation last month.
It's the first set of figures since the eviction ban was lifted.
Despite that, Leo Varadkar says it was the right call.
He said: "At best, it reduces homelessness in the short term. It probably doesn't even do that.
"It makes it worse in the medium term. When you lift the ban, you have a lot of eviction notices that then get affected.
"In the long term, it makes it even worse again. You have fewer people willing to offer properties for rent in the private rental market."
Over 12,000 people homeless
12,259 people are registered as homeless in Ireland - the first time the figure has ever gone above 12,000.
The figures have been released by the Department of Housing.
These are figures for April and are a 2% increase on March's total.
8,665 adults are registered as homeless nationally, and there are also more than 3,500 children growing up in B&Bs and hotels for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic.
Dublin is the worst affected area in the country with 8,775 people in emergency accommodation - including more than 2,600 children.
