Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister was talking about the importance of data, so of the single-parent families, does he know how many are in emergency accommodation because of domestic violence?

How many are there because of eviction from the private rented sector? How many in direct provision centres, including children, have residency status but are unable to leave because of the housing shortage?

The report, No Place like Home, by the Ombudsman for Children and the report of the Children's Rights Alliance, Home Works, highlight the negative impact of living in emergency accommodation on children, not just for the present but for their futures too. A ten year old girl compared the family hub accommodation in she was living to a prison because that had been her experience. It leaves children at risk of developing adverse childhood experiences, something that has been well documented as a phenomenon. The research shows the long-term impact of homelessness on children's health and well-being, including an increased likelihood of homelessness in later life. Is the Department, or any other, carrying out any assessment of the long-term impact on children of living in emergency accommodation? Would the Minister consider placing a time limit on how long a child can spend in emergency accommodation?

The first key action in pillar 1 of Rebuilding Ireland was to ensure that by mid-2017, that is, two years ago, commercial hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation would only be used in limited circumstances to provide emergency accommodation, in recognition of the fact that staying in such accommodation was inappropriate and unsustainable over a long period and particularly detrimental to children. As of 1 June 2019, 80 homeless families were in one-night-only emergency accommodation. Why has the commitment to cease the reliance on commercial hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation not been delivered on? What steps are being taken to ensure no families will be subject to what is a chronically unstable and inappropriate provision? Will the Minister consider a change in the law in order that decision makers will have to consider what is the best for each child and ensure his or her needs are met when deciding where to accommodate families?

Serious concerns were expressed about housing in the budget submission of Cork Chamber of Commerce, which represents 1,200 businesses. The chamber's latest survey of its members reveals issues related to the availability of rental accommodation as being the top threat to growth, second only to Brexit. The report states that while housing provision is a social issue, insufficient housing stock, particularly rental accommodation, remains a primary concern that has a negative impact on the ability of businesses to grow and hire and retain talent. It also contributes to wage inflation, thus impacting on competitiveness. I ask the Minister for his comments on the short, medium-and long-term impact on children of living in emergency accommodation. They number almost 4,000 according to his own figures. I also ask him to comment on the lack of a good rental sector in the context of our future prosperity, as Cork Chamber of Commerce has flagged in successive budget submissions.