Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Chairman on his appointment. He has significant knowledge of the challenges in the housing sector, particularly in the provision of rental accommodation, living as he does in an urban area close to a university and other third level institutions. His experience will be very useful in helping the committee to chart where it wants to go in what remains of the term of this Oireachtas. I also join colleagues in commending his predecessor, Deputy Bailey, on the work she did.

As an aside, I welcome Senator Kelleher to the committee, as I know her commitment to this particular area, equality of access to housing for all, irrespective of their communities and whether people are in a minority. She will play a significant role in the work of this committee.

I welcome the Minister. We have had engagements over a period about how some local authorities have been more compliant with national policy than others. I know that to try to focus minds, a twice-yearly conference has been organised to bring those authorities together and to challenge them to meet their targets and so on. What is the Minister's view on their targets? Are the departmental data indicating that matters have improved in respect of local authorities meeting their targets in the various areas?

There is the question of purchasing properties, including distressed properties or those on the open market, for social housing. I firmly believe that buying more private houses in different estates for social housing is a far better model, as it spreads social housing throughout the community, leading organically to everybody living in a more equal society. I completely understand the need to build large-scale housing developments and we need plenty of social housing in all areas of the country and each street in every town in order to create the type of equal society we all seek.

Over the summer we saw disgraceful behaviour from universities with respect to on-campus accommodation, as the figures charged to young people starting at third level were dramatically increased. There were also increases in the cost of on-campus accommodation for people in second or third year or those doing postgraduate courses. Regulations were about to come into force and this stunt - it can only be described as such - from the universities and third level colleges came a couple of days beforehand. Is there any way the Minister can rectify or address this by having the universities and other third level institutions to do the right thing by bringing this back to what it was? All third level colleges and the surrounding areas should be deemed rent pressure zones. It is one way of dealing with this once and for all.

I had a conversation on the meeting fringes with the Minister about emergency accommodation. I agree with the principle that Tusla should have the power to inspect all emergency accommodation in an unannounced fashion. Is the Minister's thinking in any way similar and would he consider exploring the matter by speaking with Tusla's new executive, Mr. Bernard Gloster? I know he is exceptional as I worked with him when we was with the Health Service Executive in the mid-west.

There is the question of the rent-a-room scheme. When people rent a room in their apartment or house, it works well by and large and such people can take in €12,000 or €13,000 tax-free for a room. Has the Minister data on the take-up of the scheme and is it worth putting more resources into promoting it? There is an ageing population and I know of several people in the city who have availed of it. It has created a social space for them, as well as an income and it is working very well. I have no doubt there are thousands of homes and apartments where single professional people, and perhaps even elderly or retired people, have the capacity to provide accommodation to young professionals. Are there any data on it?