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

I have a few questions. When we are discussing hubs, it is important to note the concern that not all of the hubs will have the level of service and quality of Mater Dei, which many of us have visited. I refer particularly to the hubs that will be in refurbished commercial units. I think that concern is part of what is driving this conversation. There is also a fear that the significant level of public pressure that has developed on foot of the housing of large numbers of families and children in commercial hotels will diminish as more and more families move into hubs and, as a result, families could end up being in hubs longer than we might want, even if that is not what is intended. I want to make our concerns in this regard clear.

I would like to ask Ms Gleeson about the quality standards framework and the quality standards office that the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and the lead authorities have been working on. Can she tell the committee what level of resourcing will be required? What staff levels will be required? I am aware that a three-year rollout programme is being developed and discussed with the Department. It is all very well to have very good quality standards on paper. I am fully supportive of the work that the Dublin Region Homeless Executive wants to be done. We need to know what the Minister needs to provide in next month's budget to make the work that the executive has been doing in recent times a reality.

I disagree with Ms Gleeson in one regard. HAP families are taken off the principal housing waiting lists. They are not featuring in the figures. In all but one local authority, they do not have access to the main allocation system. Ms Gleeson is right when she says they have access to transfers, but that is a very fundamental difference.

I have a question for the officials from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. How many families are in hubs now? What is the timeframe for the future rollout of a number of families into hubs? Some commercial sites are currently being refurbished into hubs. Obviously, that is taking beds out of the emergency system. How many beds have been taken out as a result of that? How many adults and children are still in commercial hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation? The idea underpinning hubs is that there will be a reduction in the number of families in commercial hotels as the number of families in hubs increases. My fear is that because of the increasing number of presentations, we will have the same number of families in hotels, albeit new ones, as well as the families in hubs.