Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too thank the witnesses for their presentations. This meeting comes in the context of the housing Bill which is going through the House. Many issues are arising about which we are worried, one of which is that there are 76,000 people in receipt of rent supplement. There is a proposal under the HAP project which is being piloted in Limerick to bring it under the control of local authorities. One of the fears is that the Bill counts this as adequate housing. I tabled an amendment to say that it is not adequate housing but it was firmly resisted by the Government. This could mean, similar to what happened with RAS in 2011, that people could be taken off the housing list because they would seem to be housed. I do not know what is the opinion of the witnesses on that issue. That could mean that tens of thousands of people could be taken off the housing list if that was to happen. I would like to hear what the witnesses have to say on that matter.

It was stated that the staff have discretion when it comes to rent supplement. They may have discretion sometimes, some give deposits and some do not. There is terrible inconsistency across the country in respect of rent supplement. We know the limit has been increased but there have been huge problems in dealing with the welfare officers on the issue and with landlords. When this is transferred to HAP we will see the real cost. Irrespective of whether we like it, many people have been topping up with landlords on a large scale. I am not sure what that will show up when it is transferred to the local authority.

The homeless situation is at crisis point. I have never seen it so bad. There are approximately 200 families in hotels each night, incurring a cost of €16,000 per day.

Yet at the same time more people are becoming homeless. I know an instruction has gone out to local authorities to house as many homeless people as they can. The danger in all of this is that those on the current housing lists will end up the next homeless as a result. If we are trying to reach the 2016 target, we may actually be creating more problems.

The Supreme Court has ruled on section 62 of the 1966 Housing Act. I am happy that this is being dealt with.

Since 2008, over €1 billion has been cut from the housing budget. Now, it is being brought close to 2013 levels. Most social housing provision seems to be moving in the direction of the voluntary housing sector. I believe local authorities should be the main agents in dealing with housing. Could local authorities borrow on the open market for housing provision without being tied to the troika or otherwise, based on their housing stock, just as the voluntary housing sector can? The Minister claims it can be done but local authorities claim it cannot. Can someone tell me otherwise?

Should the PRTB include local authority tenants too in dealing with disputes and so forth?