Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important debate on the issue of housing, homelessness and social housing. The issue is very complex as well as being a shortage of homes and houses. We need to focus on the neediest in our society. I would put the focus on those who have no home, flat or apartment. We need to get these people into a stable environment.

As a former full-time voluntary worker and soup runner with Simon, I saw at first hand the complexities of people who were homeless. Some had mental health issues, some had drugs and alcohol problems and some were on the margins of society. I commend the voluntary organisations that are doing a magnificent job in providing heat and shelter for these priority cases. These are the people we see sleeping in the doorways. Many of them are afraid to go into a hostel. I would describe many of them as very gentle, soft human beings but they are afraid they will be mugged or robbed in some of hostel situations and they would rather sleep out in the cold and wet than be attacked or assaulted. That is something we need to deal. There are also the people with major alcohol and drugs problems.

Deputies from all parties and particularly those from the Technical Group have been inundated with people on the housing list unable to get a home. We have also seen people with tears in their eyes because they either have not got a home or they are being evicted by a landlord as they are getting the rent allowance or because they are very poor families. We need to address this very serious issue.

I accept it is important to build up our social housing stock, but we also need to consider the negative costs if we do not act on this issue. The lack of housing and homelessness are having a damaging social impact on families. I know that from my previous job when I worked as a primary school teacher in the north inner city. The children, who were living in hostels or other such accommodation and did not have a stable home, were the ones who suffered most from educational disadvantage, which was a major issue. Families were going from Billy to Jack, and to different places and different types of accommodation. How can we expect four or five-year olds to focus on whether they have their English, Irish or maths exercises completed? It was not an option.

As well as talking about dealing with the issue of houses, we have to address the negative impacts of these people who have been excluded from society and do not have a warm home. This also forms part of the educational disadvantage debate. In order to break the cycle of educational disadvantage, people need to have a warm and stable home. These children need to be able to get up every morning, have a decent breakfast and go to school. While we are talking about figures, let us talk about these young people as well. Long-term damage is being caused to thousands of young children as we speak in this debate today.

The Minister of State recently visited Darndale in my constituency regarding the building of 35 social housing units. I welcome that positive development. The cynics would say it was a small one, but it will have a major positive impact in a small community such as Darndale. As well as dealing with the open spaces where some people are being tormented by anti-social behaviour, some families will get accommodation, which is positive. I welcome that aspect. The Minister of State should note that we are not always having a go at people. If somebody does something right in any Department, I will always commend and thank him or her for it. That is part of the solution and represents a major start.

The hard-nosed statistics in terms of what is going on are frightening. In 2013, the Housing Agency published a summary document, which revealed that 89,872 households were in need of housing. Some 44% of these were single-person households; 30% comprised single persons with children; 72% sourced their income solely from social welfare payments; and 11% sourced their income solely from employment. Some statistics jump out immediately and I will develop them further later. In 62% of households the main applicant was unemployed; 52% of households had their main need categorised as "dependent on rent supplement"; and 23% of households had their main need categorised as "unsuitable accommodation due to particular circumstances". The assessment notes that "it is likely that this category is populated by households ... with a difficulty in affording private accommodation".

Given that of people in those 89,872 households 72% are on social welfare, it is immediately linked to the jobs issue. As part of the solution to the housing issue we need to focus on job creation and bring forward sensible ideas to bring these people out of welfare and back into jobs in order to help them to buy a home or rent a proper home which will bring some stability and warmth to their lives and those of their families. In 62% of households the main applicant was unemployed, which is a very important figure in dealing with this.

Some 52% of households had their main need categorised as "dependent on rent supplement". In my clinics in recent weeks I have met people who have been threatened with eviction by landlords who are refusing to accept the rent allowance, which is unacceptable in any society. Some of these people caused the economic crash with some of their mad investments and the banking crisis at the time. It is not justified for families to be tormented. Families in rented accommodation getting rent supplement or rent allowance are being told they have to move on so that the landlord can get a higher rent from other people. This must be addressed because it is blatant discrimination.

A number of homeless people have asked me to raise this issue. They asked me how many politicians in Dáil Éireann are landlords, how many of them are renting out lots of accommodation and how many are discriminating against people on rent supplement. I would guess there are a substantial number here. I want to raise that today on behalf of the people who are crying out for housing.

By the way, I want to get away from the mentality which seems to be part of the Government view about some people on welfare being scroungers or depending too much on social welfare, and some of the comments I have heard from some backbenchers have not been constructive or helpful. Let me say that the vast majority of the people I know want to pay their way and they would love to have a job and their own house, and if they are in rented accommodation, they would love to have enough to pay a proper rent. That is part of the debate. If we do not do anything about this issue of social housing and homelessness, we are going to destroy another generation. Again, I emphasise the most recent figure of 89,000 households.

I accept the point that the Government cannot do it overnight but I do not accept the criticisms from some Government backbenchers. They are in power for three years and they won the last election. They should get on with it, stop blaming Fianna Fáil for the bad weather and everything that went on in the last years, and deal with the issues.

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