Leo Varadkar visits Co Kildare today with Fr Peter McVerry seriously concerned the Taoiseach is not treating homeless situation seriously enough

Today the Taoiseach will be visiting Co Kildare in the wake of stating on social media that Ireland does not have a major homeless crisis despite Peter Mc Verry Trust now turning people away daily in Co Kildare towns, due to lack of space. Taoiseach Varadkar responded on twitter to a question  that he was asked at a Fine Gael Conference in Cavan yesterday, about Ireland having one of the highest rates of homelessness in Europe. He said: "Was asked a question yesterday about Ireland having one of the highest homelessness levels. We don’t by international comparison. That's a fact. It is nonetheless a stain on our society and we’ll do all we can to eliminate it." According to Fr Peter McVerry, who provides accommodation for the homeless in Athy and Newbridge, there is a major homeless crisis in Ireland and says that the Taoiseach was looking at 2015 OECD figures. Fr McVerry, is deeply concerned that the Taoiseach has not made himself aware of the actual homeless figures in Ireland. He said: "Homelessness is not a priority for the government. Ever since the Taoiseach came into power, 15 people a day are becoming homeless. We are at full capacity at our shelter in Newbridge, we are always turning people away." Fr McVerry is concerned that only one in three people now will be afford their own home. He said: "We are facing a catastrophe, it is quite frightening. The Taoiseach's statement yesterday adds to the hopelessness for the homeless people. There should not be homeless people in the scale that is in Ireland, there will always be a small amount due to severe mental health problems but nothing like this." Today after officially opening Deputy Martin Heydon's office in Athy at 3.30pm today, the Taoiseach will attend an open question and answer session at 5.30pm, with a wide variety of community groups in Newbridge including Hope(D), St Vincent de Paul and Samaritans. Pregnant women are now homeless in Co Kildare, forced to sleep rough due to lack of accommodation. There are concerns that  these women are vulnerable to being attacked as some lie on cardboard while others are lucky enough to have a tent. Currently there are women  aged in their late 20s to early 30s  living in tents in Newbridge. Fears are mounting for two pregnant women found within the past week in two different Co Kildare towns. Nowhere to go, they are forced to sleep out in bitterly cold conditions. In Naas, over the weekend, a young man slept on cardboard, with a sleeping bag wrapped around him. He said: "I tried to get a place to stay in Athy and Newbridge, they are full for the next few days." Figures released this month from Peter McVerry Trust reveal that  214 individuals were supported in  Co Kildare during 2016, including those that accessed the Emergency Accommodation in Newbridge and those supported via the out of hour Freephone number. Over 3,600 emergency placements provided in counties Dublin and Kildare. 4,584 individuals  were supported across the Peter McVerry in 2016, bed capacity increased to 762 bed units by end of 2016 and there was a  28-fold increase in bed capacity in the past ten years (2006 - 2016). The average age of those attending Peter McVerry is 32. The homeless figures for September 2017, showed yet another record number of men, women and children experiencing homelessness – at 8,374 people (compared to 8,270 in August 2017, and 6,709 in September 2016). There is also a record number of homeless children – rising from 3,048 in August month to 3,124 in September – now comprising over 37% of the total homeless figure.