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

I commend the organisations represented here today and the other organisations represented by the network. We see today that the official homelessness figures of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government are at their highest point ever, with 6,000 people, including almost 2,000 children, affected. To put this in context, the official figures from the Department in 2008 were 1,394 people. I know many of us disputed these, but if the official figures have shown a quadrupling at a time when the budgets of the witnesses' organisations as well as those of the local authorities and the Department have been reduced, it shows the scale of the challenge with which they work daily.

Some of my questions are specific and some of them are general and people will be able to work out which is which. I will start with Brú Aimsir, which as people know is a 100-bed emergency hostel in Dublin. Ms McLoughlin stated 58 beds were available last night and we know approximately 90 people were turned away by the freefone service to access these beds. What Ms McLoughlin did not state, and I want her to confirm this for the committee, is our understanding that the hostel is to be progressively closed by the end of this month.

Since those people have move-on or permanent accommodation, they will not be replaced by others who become homeless. This means that the city of Dublin will lose 100 beds by the end of this month.

Will the witnesses also confirm that the facility in question is ultimately owned by the State? While it is the Digital Hub's premises, the Department of communications is responsible. At a time when 90, or even 100 based on the last count, people were on the streets last night, the State is facilitating the closure of approximately 100 beds. If the committee does nothing else today, we must send a clear signal to the Minister for communications to pick up the phone to the Digital Hub and say that not only should the hostel not close, but the beds should not be removed from the system. Will the witnesses comment on this matter?

I share the desire to see rent supplement increased, but I have a major concern. Under the programme for Government, there will be an increase in rent supplement and the housing assistance payment, HAP, but it does not say that there will be rent certainty or that rents will be linked to the consumer price index. I fear that just increasing rent supplement and the HAP on their own will create an upward pressure on rents. For people who are reliant on rent supplement and low-income families who are not eligible for rent supplement in counties where there is no HAP, this could make the situation worse. What are the witnesses' opinions on rent certainty and its importance as a complementary measure to rent supplement increases?

If any of the witnesses can give the committee indications of the average length of time spent in emergency accommodation in their areas of the country, it would be useful.

There is a debate about people who become homeless because of the more traditional triggers that Mr. Dunne mentioned and those, in particular families, who become homeless purely as a result of the other aspects of the housing crisis. Will the witnesses reflect on this issue? Does it disadvantage those who are becoming homeless because of traditional triggers, that is, are they being pushed to one side even further as the public focuses on families with children and what to do in that regard?

The homelessness budget is €70 million. The programme for Government commits to this level of spending, but what do the witnesses believe is the real spend that is required to meet emergency accommodation needs? It was stated that the HSE fund should be returned to 2010 levels. What is that in money terms?

Will the witnesses discuss the difficulties surrounding appropriate emergency accommodation for families with children and for people with special needs? Much of the emergency accommodation is pre-2008 and consists more of low-threshold hostels. Hearing some information on this matter would be valuable for us.

I take Mr. Carroll's point about the allocation schemes and people who do not have homes getting priority. However, prioritising those with the greatest need, including needs beyond their housing needs, for example, mental health or addiction needs, creates a difficulty for local authorities from the point of view of good and sustainable community estate management. How should these two aspects be married?

Previous committee meetings heard conversations on rural-urban issues. Most of the witnesses work in urban areas, but the committee would like to hear more from those who are not about the specific challenges facing families at risk of homelessness and in emergency accommodation in their areas.