Ms Tríona O'Connor:

We are sitting here talking about people. Mr. Dunne and I were talking outside the room and we agreed we can get lost in the politics and bureaucracy in terms of the issues but we are talking about people's lives. I have been working in homeless services since 2000 and in terms of all the people I have met in that time, all they want is a home. They want a place they can call their own and it is our job to get them that. That is why we are here. All the staff I work with work tirelessly for that to happen. Some cases take longer than others. Some people have many more issues than others, but that is the crux of it. When I made my submission earlier I think I rushed through a number of points to have them said, but I appreciate being here in my role and the fact that I have been given an opportunity to speak on behalf of the clients with whom I work. That is what we must remember. That is why we are all here, and that is why the members are here.

It was said earlier that we need to simplify the process. The solutions are available; we just need to work to make them happen sooner rather than later. As an alliance, what came up when we met to discuss this meeting was that we can get caught up in bureaucracy in terms of an issue and it takes much longer than necessary for solutions to be found. There are solutions. All of us have put forward solutions that can happen rapidly. There are longer-term issues that must be dealt with, and they will be dealt with.

We welcome the opportunity to present to the committee and appreciate the time the members have given us.