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

Prevention is key and that is the reason I told the local authorities to be innovative to prevent people from going into emergency accommodation. That is why some of them use section 10 funding to keep people out of emergency accommodation and why they should not have been categorised as being in emergency accommodation. That is the reason we have that issue. They are doing what the Senator wants them to do. They are using the money proactively to keep people out of emergency accommodation, and it is good to see that.

All the resources and policies are in place for each local authority to tackle the challenges it faces with housing and homelessness. However, not every local authority always implements policy the same way. We can only learn that when a Deputy or Senator brings it to our attention, and then we can go back to the local authority and tell it that it can buy these houses and it has the fund to do so. If there is evidence of that not happening we need to know about it.

The point about the hubs is that they are more successful in moving people on. There is better care and support in a hub centre than there is in a hotel. That is why the hub is the preferred model as a first response. People spend less time in emergency accommodation as a result. Local authorities have to build, acquire and long-term lease, but we must get the balance right. We do not want local authorities acquiring in high demand areas because it will displace young families or individuals who are trying to purchase. We want them to increase the stock of social housing and that is happening.

With regard to the 20% discretion with the HAP, I can only speak to the evidence I have. It shows that it has only been necessary in 13% of HAP cases in the Senator's local authority area.