Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: No more homeless baby Declans, EU must act
MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin addressed the European Parliament about child homelessness, telling the story of a baby he calls "Declan" who was born into emergency accommodation beside his own daughter's cot. He called on the EU to intervene where markets and member states have failed, pushing for regulation of short-term rentals, tenant protections and council investment.
Immediate message:
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin framed homelessness as a moral and political failure. He described the emotions of parents of premature babies, contrasted his daughter Roisin's situation with that of "Declan," and said the suffering of homeless children should shame republics, cities and the European Union.
Numbers and scale:
Ó Ríordáin cited specific figures: 4,000 homeless children in Dublin, 5,000 in Ireland and over 400,000 across Europe. He used these figures to argue that Declan is not an isolated case but representative of a continent-wide crisis.
Policy and party action:
He welcomed recent EU interventions: a housing commissioner, a housing committee, and a housing report delivered by the S&D group and endorsed by the Irish Labour Party. He urged regulation of short-term rentals, stronger tenant protections and greater council investment as alternatives to leaving housing to market forces.
Moral appeal and consequences:
The speech combined personal testimony with policy demands. Ó Ríordáin insisted that accepting children as "collateral damage" to profit is unacceptable and called for an end to market-driven housing solutions and the homelessness it produces.
Political context:
Speaking as an Irish MEP and member of the Irish Labour Party, Ó Ríordáin positioned the S&D housing report as a turning point, urging colleagues in the chamber to reject complacency and to prioritise the protection of children and families facing homelessness.
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A little baby Declan. That's not his name, but his story is real. He sleeps in a cot beside my own daughter in a Dublin maternity hospital. As parents of premature babies, we have similar emotions. Concern, fear, love and joy. Declan is so similar to our Roisin, but unlike Roisin, Declan has been born into homelessness. Emergency accommodation, a homeless baby. Two tiny babies, side by side, but already one is lumbered with the crushing injustice of homelessness. And looking at them both, I am overcome with shame. Shame that the promise of our republic, our fair city, our European Union has betrayed him. Shame because Declan isn't a once-off. There are 4,000 Declans in Dublin, 5,000 in Ireland and over 400,000 in Europe. 400,000 homeless children. And there are those who tell us that profit must rule. So children in homelessness should accept living as collateral damage. Families living in hotels, tourists staying in homes. We cannot accept that. It should offend us, insult us, shame us all. Finally today, we can say that the EU is intervening where the market and member states have failed. Regulating short-term rentals, protecting tenants, allowing our councils to invest. A housing commissioner, a housing committee, and now a housing report delivered by the S&D group and proudly by the Irish Labour Party. Today we say no more housing chaos, no more market-driven solutions, no more homeless baby Declans, no more shame. I really beg you to keep the speaking time. We have a long list. The next speaker is Clara Dostalová.
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