Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

We are approximately 45 minutes into the session on the progress report on the Rebuilding Ireland strategy. I will start my contribution by making a point that has not yet been made. The number of people living in emergency accommodation is greater than at any time in the history of the State. In his presentation the Minister mentioned that the number had reduced in December, that the reduction had been expected because of seasonal factors and that it had increased again in January. According to the latest figures, there are 9,987 persons living in emergency accommodation. This means that officially there are approximately 10,000 people homeless in the State. Deputy Eoghan Murphy is the first Minister in the history of the State to be in office when the number of homeless persons is approaching 10,000. Since he took office, the number has increased by more than 2,000 or 25%. In my area, the Cork-Kerry region, the number has passed the 500 mark for the first time ever. All of the information we have available tells us that the main source of homelessness is people exiting the private rental sector. What action does the Minister intend to take to stem the flow into homelessness from the private rental sector? The Anti-Evictions Bill is before the committee. It would ban the sale of a property being used as grounds for eviction, as is the case in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. It would also ban renovation - so-called reno-victions - being used as grounds for eviction. Will the Minister support the Bill and get behind it? Will he admit that it would be the strong radical action needed to stem the flow into homelessness from the private rental sector?

On the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme, we learned yesterday that the scheme had been frozen, pending the outcome of negotiations between the Departments of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Public Expenditure and Reform. It is madness in the midst of the greatest housing and homelessness crisis in the history of the State that a scheme such as this would be frozen for any length of time. We all know the story. In many circumstances it is people on low incomes and those living in precarious renting conditions who are availing of the scheme. I have two questions for the Minister in that regard. Why was the scheme frozen on the quiet, without reference to the committee or the Dáil, and when will it be unfrozen? I am aware that there are discussions under way, but people want to know that the scheme will come into play soon, rather than in a number of months. Will the Minister give an indicative date for its reopening? People are looking for it to happen straightaway.

On the increased use of the HAP scheme, as opposed to new housing provision, the reports tell us that the 2018 figure for active HAP tenancies was 12,215 and that the corresponding figure for new local authority builds was 2,022, giving a ratio of 6:1. However, new local authority builds include turn-key housing. I welcome such provision, but, as far as I am concerned, the only way out of the crisis is through increased public housing provision on public land. The current figure in that regard is less than 2,022. In Cork, taking city and county areas together, in 2018 the number of active HAP tenancies was 1,130, while the number of new builds, including turn-key housing, was 235, giving the same ratio. According to research carried out by academics in Maynooth University, over a period of 30 years the cost to the taxpayer of 87,000 HAP tenancies will be €23.8 million more than the cost of providing a similar number of council houses. Does that policy need to be turned on its head such that the number one priority will be the building of social housing on public land?