Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the important issue of social housing and homelessness. Social housing in this country is at crisis levels. Every day of the week, I receive queries from people seeking short-term, long-term and emergency housing but sadly there is very little out there for them at present.

The demand for social housing has always been high but in recent years with the economic downturn, it has sky-rocketed out of control. People who never thought they would have to seek social housing are now coming to me, and other Deputies, to see what options are available to them.

Some of these people had bought properties during the boom but can no longer afford to pay the mortgage, and many have handed back their keys to the bank. They are now relying on the State to put a roof over their heads. Others in private rented accommodation had to leave their homes as private rents have increased. Others have been languishing on the council's housing list for many years, some of them up to ten years or more, without any sign of being housed at all.

With the new band system in place in Dublin City Council, the social housing list has become a black hole for thousands of people on the list. They may now find themselves in 600th or 800th place on the waiting list, which is devastating as they face a longer wait of many years for council housing.

According to the 2011 census, one in ten private households now lives in social housing via local authorities or voluntary co-operative housing. This highlights the need to address the social housing situation. This is the reality, not a dream.

I have lobbied the Taoiseach and other Ministers, including the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, on this issue since I was elected to the Dáil. I am acutely aware of the seriousness of the situation not only in my constituency but throughout the country.

The Government recently launched a new funding model to increase the supply of social homes provided through the not-for-profit housing sector. The capital advance leasing facility, CALF, was launched in 2011 to renew co-operation between the Government, approved housing bodies and external finance providers.

Under this scheme, an approved housing body can purchase or build properties with funding of up to 30% available from the Exchequer and the balance being raised under private or housing finance agency's finance. The properties would then be made available to meet social housing needs. Some €13.5 million has already been allocated by the Department to assist in the provision of 353 housing units.

This week, the Government announced a new €15 million fund to bring vacant local authority houses back into use. Local authorities have been asked to submit their proposals for funding under the new scheme by 28 March. The Department will then make allocations as soon as possible and it is expected that the fund will bring approximately 500 vacant local authority units back into beneficial use this year.

How much of this money will be ring-fenced for Dublin City Council to deal with the huge number of people on the housing list in Dublin? This €15 million fund is not enough so I am asking the Minister and the Minister of State to re-examine this matter to see if more funding can be approved.

In Dublin city alone, there are approximately 16,000 people on the housing list. In my constituency of Dublin South-Central there were 170 voids in September 2013. It is unacceptable to have houses and flats lying idle when there is such a demand. For example, there are 36 voids in the Basin Street complex. At Tyrone Place, which is less than two minutes' walk from my house, there are currently 18 voids. Other inner city flat complexes have equal numbers of vacant places. It is time we opened the doors of unoccupied flats to help homeless people.

I am pleased to see that local authorities which access this new €15 million fund will be encouraged to use the services of community-based organisations who recruit and train long-term unemployed people for some of the required works.

At present, Dublin City Council's maintenance crews are dwindling rapidly, leaving local authority tenants waiting for up to two years to have simple maintenance problems resolved. I am concerned that in my area of Dublin South-Central there are just two plumbers, one carpenter, two painters and 12 electricians to service city council tenants. We must allow local authorities to recruit people in these positions, as they are really struggling to maintain their properties and carry out simple, everyday repairs.

This week the Government launched a two-year €68 million local authority home building initiative. This is a major investment in local authority housing and will see €68 million invested in building 449 homes right across the country over the next two years. It is not enough, however, because a lot more needs to be done to facilitate thousands of homeless people, not only in Dublin but elsewhere. The initiative is a drop in the ocean compared to what is required. The Government should look again at providing fresh funding.

Other new schemes under way with the support of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government include a €35-million investment for housing for people with a disability, people without a home, and the elderly.

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