Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When Sinn Féin initiated the idea of this committee, we were keen that it would try to do two things and what we proposed is in the spirit of what most members have suggested so far. On one hand, we want the committee to look at the current crisis and try to come up with constructive proposals for government to tackle some of the short-term and long-term problems. We are keen that the committee operates in that constructive spirit. However, there is also a degree of urgency, not just because we have only nine weeks, but because the situation, as we all know from our constituency clinics, is getting worse. More families are presenting as homeless every day, not just across the city, but across the State and we have more children in emergency accommodation than we had six months or a year ago.

We have to recognise that there is a degree of urgency in doing our job. I would like us to come away from this meeting saying very clearly that we are open to receiving submissions from external organisations. Any organisation that wants to make propositions, proposals or written submissions should be invited to do so for us to start hearing some of the information. There is a value in bringing people to the committee. I take Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan's point that there has been a lot of discussion, but the situation has evolved a fair bit. There are things that were agreed to a year ago which, in the view of many, are not working. Therefore - Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan is correct - if people are brought in, it should be in a focused way. On that basis, there are at least nine thematic sessions we could consider, most of which have been referred to in one shape or form.

First, we need the Minister here. Deputy Brendan Ryan has rightly outlined that we need to know where things stand with the Government's housing plan. At the first opportunity, therefore, we should have the Minister here to outline what he sees his Department doing. We could put questions directly to him and tease out some of our concerns.

There is a need for a session to specifically look at homelessness which should include a variety of sectors such as NGOs and local government bodies. There is a need for a session on social housing, not just to argue, as many of us will, that there is a need for more investment. For such a session we would invite local authority and departmental officials to outline to the committee what the barriers were with a view to removing them and speeding up delivery of the promised units, as well as to consider broader points.

There is a need for a discussion on private housing. I am very interested in hearing from developers, estate agents and mortgage brokers on what they think are the current blockages in the market at the various stages of supply and in accessing housing. The private rental sector would be the subject of a stand-alone session. I would like to have here some representatives of the landlord organisations, along with representatives of NGOs such as Threshold, etc.

There is a lively debate taking place. We have heard the views of the Master of the High Court, legal experts and social policy experts. We could invite them to the committee for a focused session, particularly on compulsory purchase orders or other tools currently not being used. It is absolutely crucial - Deputy Mick Wallace did a lot of good work in the last two debates and before - to have a session on NAMA specifically.

We should not forget some of the social inclusion issues that are also part of the problem. There is an ongoing problem with the quality of Traveller accommodation. There are very large numbers of people who have their stamp 4 but who are still stuck living in direct provision centres, even though they should not be, and who cannot gain access to the housing market.

I propose another addition - this ties in with what Deputy Ruth Coppinger said - that the committee hear from people who are experiencing the housing crisis first hand. Persons living in emergency accommodation - residents from Tyrrelstown and young families stuck in overpriced private rented accommodation who are unable to save for deposits to buy - should be invited to the committee or other fora, as suggested by Deputy Kathleen Funchion, in order that their testimonies could be put to the committee. That would be worthwhile.

If we structure our work around these themes, invite small numbers of individuals to make focused presentations to the committee and hear questions from them, perhaps at two meetings a week, as suggested by Deputy Barry Cowen, it would give us enough time to produce a report and come up with recommendations on which there would be consensus, if possible, or minority or majority recommendations, to show what could be done differently to address the problem.

I thank the Chairman for his indulgence. I will conclude on the need for acceptance that whatever comes down the line, new approaches have to be part of any Government's response if things are to get better. Deputy Mick Wallace is right. The problem is getting worse every single day in the social housing sector, in the private housing sector and the private rental sector. Unless there is a change in policy, things will not get any better. I recommend that approach.