Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to contribute to this discussion because it is of such critical importance. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and the Minister, Deputy Hogan, for coming up with some money for the funding of social housing projects across the State. The sum for my constituency is €4.75 million and 39 homes are to be constructed. However, it is a drop in the ocean compared to what is required.

I concur with what Deputy Lawlor said with regard to the holistic approach to this crisis. One can look at my constituency and the rent allowance levels versus the rents being demanded for private rental accommodation at present, if one can get it. Most private rental property clients cannot avail of the private rental market because their rent allowance is so low that they are being priced out of the market.

We must do something drastic, and do it very quickly because I am very concerned with the second part of the subject of this debate, which is homelessness. We may be failing families who are unable to find accommodation for a variety of reasons. In the private rented sector landlords might give them notice to vacate or a property might be sold, as has been the case for a couple of constituents who were in touch with me recently. Unfortunately, we might not be able to respond in a timely fashion to such families if they cannot find private rented accommodation. That is a huge concern because we might end up with an increase in homelessness rather than achieve the aspiration of eradicating it in the State.

I do not blame the Minister for the inability of the Department to provide more money in terms of capital spend. Clearly, we are in the midst of a very difficult financial period and although things are improving slightly, there is still a huge capital investment requirement over the next number of years not only to keep up with current demand but also to cater for the enormous backlogs on the social housing waiting lists in local authorities. If there are 7,000 or 8,000 people on the housing list in Fingal and the national figure is just under 100,000, it is clear we will have to do something drastic to meet the demands of both the backlog of the last number of years and those into the future as our population continues to grow.

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