Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important that we listen to homeless people. I spoke to homeless people yesterday in terms of preparing for this meeting but I do not believe it would be appropriate to bring two or three homeless people into the opulence of Leinster House to come before a full session of this committee with 14 TDs. It might be more appropriate for two or three of us to meet them in smaller surroundings; it might not be fair or appropriate to bring them into this type of setting. I have no problem speaking to homeless people. All of us speak to them every day of the week but perhaps three members could speak to them as it might be daunting for someone to have to come in here and tell their story.