Mary Henry (Independent)

Since that group has been neglected in terms of accommodation, the Minister might try to see what can be done about providing them with housing when she is considering her proposals for next year. If it were not for the Salvation Army's hostels, I do not know how I would have managed to deal with such cases I come across in my general practice. One has only to walk around the city to see the number of homeless people, a large percentage of whom are middle-aged or elderly men. Some, but not all, of them have suffered from mental illness or alcohol-related problems. Many have just not been able to pay the rents now required in the private sector. Meanwhile, the provision of accommodation in the public sector has fallen far behind current requirements. I know the Minister will have to discuss this matter with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, not to mention the Minister for Finance, but this could be one of her projects for next year.