Mr. Mike Allen:

I will address the point on Housing First. Focus Ireland has run Housing First for over ten years and for a large period of that time we have done so on our own or with the Peter McVerry Trust in Dublin. It went out for a competitive tender a couple of years ago and the Peter McVerry Trust is providing the service in Dublin. I cannot speak directly to how that is operating in Dublin now. We ran Housing First services in many other parts of the country.

It is worth saying that Housing First, as it currently operates, is only directed at single people and not families with children. That is an issue that we have raised. We have identified effective practices in Housing First for people with complex support needs, but there are families and young people who often have complex support needs and whose housing situation would benefit from Housing First. However, the service does not apply to those groups at the moment.

The Housing First support system involves supporting tenants for as long as they continue to need it, which is presumed to be more or less indefinitely. That should apply to members of the Traveller community, as well as anyone from any where in the country or anyone of any nationality. The Housing First support continues for as long as a person requires it.