Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for appearing before the committee. I extend a particular welcome to Mr. O'Connell from Cork Simon. I am very parochial and it is great to see someone from Cork in the Big Smoke. I also acknowledge the work done by the Simon Communities which are very much the unsung heroes in this area.

Many of the issues I intended to raise have been covered. Thankfully, homelessness is not a major issue in Cork South-West, the constituency I represent. However, the problem is hidden to some extent because if it were not for the large number of households in which three or four generations of one family are living, many more people would be homeless. This overcrowding creates problems of its own, including significant mental health issues. While the number of homeless persons in some areas, particularly rural areas, may not be high, that does not mean that these areas do not have significant housing problems.

What is the relationship between the Simon Communities of Ireland and organisations such as Aware and Pieta House? Do the Simon Communities of Ireland work with such organisations or refer clients to them? Do they work together and are they singing from the same hymn sheet, as it were?