Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for graciously facilitating me. I will have to leave shortly. I was here at 2 p.m. I understand someone was detained elsewhere. I welcome the Minister, who holds one of the most important briefs in the Cabinet. It is because there is so much riding on his success that we all want to work constructively with him. As Deputy Cowen has said, we want to help to remove any roadblocks that are in the way.

I would like to talk to the Minister about the position with regard to rough sleeping in Cork. Many of the examples he gave in his opening address referred to Dublin. I assure him that there are serious and unattended homelessness issues outside the capital. The number of rough sleepers in Cork has increased ninefold from 38 to 345. While those numbers can be managed, they are greatly in excess of what we have known in previous years. When I left Cork in 2011, there were enough beds in Cork city for every homeless person who wanted one. We were worried about long-term homelessness and getting people out of emergency accommodation, but now there is an actual problem with rough sleeping.

When I attended the AGM of Cork Simon on Monday, I heard that housing is the key. I learned that those involved are tearing their hair out because they cannot get access to housing. They are running into all sorts of difficulties. They are anxious for housing to be developed in the city in the first instance. They are waiting for the go-ahead to do that. They have argued that a rolling programme of funding under the capital assistance scheme would be of assistance. Every time they receive a new call, they have to go back to the drawing board. They sometimes find that the houses or sites they have identified have gone because the market is so competitive.

This year's target for the rapid-build programme, which enables people to move out of emergency accommodation, was 1,000, but I understand it now looks like the final outturn will be just 200. What are the hold-ups in this regard? Should we be refocusing on permanent housing, rather than moving people from pillar to post from hotels to hubs and into rapid-builds? Children need to have permanency. If they do not know where they are and what schools they are going to, we will store up huge mental health problems for the future.

What about the funding for mental health and homelessness? The Minister said that when he visited Dublin Simon, he saw its excellent detox and addition services. It is running a counselling service on fund-raised moneys. The provision of €140,000 a year would cover these costs, but instead Dublin Simon has to raise funds. It supports approximately 450 people every year. A modest investment in its ability to provide these services would make a big difference.

Approximately 2,500 children are living in emergency accommodation. I am concerned about them in the here and now and also about their futures. We are impairing their futures by not acting.

While Rebuilding Ireland is well and good, I suggest we need to step back and look with fresh eyes at a fundamental new approach to housing in Ireland. Deputy Ó Broin and I share the view that there is a need to look at constitutional rights in this area. I intend to convene a seminar on this issue on 13 July next. All members of this committee will be invited. I hope they will be able to attend.

I heard the Minister on the news last night. I saw him with my colleague, Gene Clayton, in Ballyfermot. It is great to see that this scheme, which has been in development for a long time, is happening. I congratulate those involved.

I understand the Minister is looking for fresh ideas. I would like him to turn his attention to Singapore, which solved its real housing problem by establishing a housing development agency to build houses on very tight pieces of land. Approximately 80% of people in Singapore live in houses that were built by that country's Government and sold on 99-year leases. The remaining 20% of people are renting. It is an innovative place to look at. We always look at the Nordic countries. The Singapore approach to housing provides us with an interesting example. I will leave some details of that with the Minister to be considered in addition to what we are looking at now with Rebuilding Ireland.

We are falling behind on key targets. I do not think we are winning the war. I suggest we should consider the right to housing and look at the Singapore example. I am really sorry that I have taken up the time of proper members of this committee. I wanted to catch the Minister before I left. I hope I can stay for another five minutes to hear his response.