Mr. Brendan Kenny:

I thank the Senator. This issue was brought up by Deputy Gould earlier. The DRHE is nearly the last resort now for accommodation. For a prisoner coming out of Mountjoy Prison or somebody coming out of hospital, it is not a great solution that he or she would go straight into a hostel. Putting a young lad who has come up from the country and is getting into drugs straight into a hostel in Dublin city is not the best thing to do either. We have to be conscious of that. If somebody wants to come up from the country, it is difficult. There is a local connection in the housing system. Anybody who is in our hostels at the moment and has got emergency accommodation does not qualify for homeless HAP or to be on the housing list. The only way they can qualify for homeless HAP or to be on the housing lists is if they go back to their own local authority which can look after them. There is no doubt that if somebody just wants to come to Dublin that is a difficult one, and it is very difficult to get accommodation.

The Foyer project the Senator mentioned is a very good concept. We would certainly like to see more of that. I have forgotten the last question.