Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They were not. This is the thing; there is a formal reporting structure to me. I can get a full and detailed report with all the information that we need to get a proper understanding of what has happened here, and then decide on the best way to move forward, based on recommendations. That is what we are trying to do. It is very important for the integrity of all involved, the integrity of the relationship between the Department and this committee, the integrity of the Department and local authorities and the integrity of the issue itself to make sure that the public does not lose faith in our ability as their political leaders to solve it. We must not shoot first and ask questions later. It is important that we actually go through a formal process to get the full understanding, so that we can have a full and proper response.

Where the recategorisation has happened, it has only happened with the agreement of local authorities. It has not been at my direction or anything like that, which the Deputy has said on the record of the Dáil. It has only been done in agreement with local authorities, in cases where both agree that the people concerned are not in emergency accommodation. Deputy Ó Broin has cited section 10 funding. I have already indicated that section 10 funding is not a guide as to whether people are in emergency accommodation because the funding has been used for other reasons. The Deputy has spoken about whether there is a tenancy in place. However, these people are not in temporary accommodation. They are at no risk of being de-tenanted. They are at no risk of entering emergency accommodation. Many have not even come from emergency accommodation, and they are not even leaving the home in many instances.

I refer to one instance of a local authority that reported people as homeless. Not only were they not homeless, they were not even on the housing list, because they had received HAP support. This is the problem that I am facing. It is a very mixed picture from several local authorities, and we are working through that at the moment. Where we agree with the local authority on a miscategorisation, be it an individual or a family, I am very confident that they are not homeless and they are not in emergency accommodation. They are in safe, front-door, own-key homes. They are not at risk of entering emergency accommodation.

However, regardless of any of that, the most important thing is that we are supporting our citizens, be they in emergency accommodation or in their own homes. That is exactly what we are doing. What I will not do is say to someone who is in a hostel night to night and is walking the streets every day that they are in exactly the same situation as someone who has been living in a home for the past two years, with their own key and their own door, at no risk of entering emergency accommodation. They are two very different situations and very different circumstances. If we are to have the right policy responses for either of those people we need to understand that they are in different situations and treat them accordingly. That is what we are trying to do. I have already said that I will come before the committee when I have the report and the facts, and we can go through this in detail. That is what I am prepared to do. At the moment, I am afraid, there is an air of confusion which is not helping the matter.