Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The issues that have been raised are very serious and members have been raising them for more than a year. The Minister held a housing summit with the chief executives of 31 local authorities. However, the issues raised by members are concerns that are not being addressed in local authority areas, such as the income thresholds for people trying to get on a housing list, the HAP, rent allowance and that people who do not qualify for the housing list cannot get rent allowance. They are not massive issues but they are being raised every month by members. The Minister is doing his best and everybody is trying to get funding. We are told there is a lot of funding but the homeless crisis is getting worse. People are dying. It is a crisis. Regulation for a few years to resolve the crisis is needed.

The Minister mentioned homeless families in Dublin who wish to locate outside the capital and that a place finder service will be set up in local authorities, and that is to be welcomed. However, there are local authorities such as my own where people are trying to get on the housing list in Laois or Kilkenny or both and cannot do so because the local authority housing income threshold is higher in some local authorities than in others. The Minister needs to broaden his horizons and consider rural towns that are not being addressed.

Another issue dealt with at the housing summit was the establishment of a new interagency group to carry out an awareness campaign to promote services to prevent homelessness. That is also to be welcomed but there is no timescale involved. There are different agencies involved but this issue requires everybody to work together. It involves Senators and Deputies promoting this in their own areas because local authorities are key. Only the 31 local authorities working with the Minister and the Department will be able to solve the housing crisis. If every local authority is not included, that will defeat the purpose because there is homelessness outside Dublin. I acknowledge it is a problem in Dublin but it also exists in rural Ireland and is not being addressed there. Members have been bringing these issues to the attention of the Department for more than a year and I have not received any answer that means I could tell my constituents a problem has been solved. That is unacceptable.