Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On 12 April, the committee received a very helpful letter from the head of regulation at the Housing Agency, and I would like to comment on this. It was very helpful and I thank Ms Lyons for sending the information, which was very instructive. With regard to value for money, on the housing assistance payment, HAP, we are aware that €431 million was the projected figure this year alone, and that is rising. The rental accommodation scheme, RAS, is long-term and short-term leasing. I see from the Housing Agency figures that the Cope Foundation has 960 staff and just 57 units. I am aware of another Cope organisation in Galway, but I am not commenting on that, or on Ability West, which is very good, and I am not choosing any specific projects, but I am looking at the Cope Foundation figure of 960 staff. I thought this was to deal with homelessness but it has only 57 units while also having 960 staff. Let us consider that the city council is struggling in this regard. Last week we received a letter from the council to say it could not meet us with regard to housing because it does not have enough staff and no place to meet. In the middle of all of this, I ask the Comptroller and Auditor General where we deal with value for money in the context of 10,000 people who are homeless in a housing crisis and a listing for an organisation of almost 1,000 staff?