Ms Rosemary Hennigan:

It is a huge problem. One of the basic problems is that the private rental sector has become so dominant in our response to homelessness, that there are weaknesses within that sector in general and that it is particularly difficult for marginalised groups because there are not enough ways in which we can protect against discrimination. There is the formal equality protection under the legislation, which I am sure you are aware of, Chairman. Discrimination on the ground of being in receipt of the housing assistance payment has been introduced as well, so you can bring a discrimination case on that ground. We have recently been working with and supporting people who have experienced this and we have been trying to bring them through the process.

The reality is that, as the Chair says, when a person is experiencing the crisis of homelessness he or she is not always able to also concentrate on a process of vindicating his or her rights. One thing we could explore is not having the onus be on the person who has been subject to the discrimination to take that case. Thus we would, to some degree, have our enforcement and accountability agencies, namely, the IHREC or the Ombudsman, taking a more proactive approach in taking on those investigations themselves and not needing to have a plaintiff or an applicant who will come forward and go through that process, because it can be very time-consuming. It can be very emotionally involved for a person to have to present that evidence as well. If we place that on a person who themselves is actively living in homelessness, it is unrealistic to expect them to actually vindicate those rights. We should therefore explore whether we can enable our authorities, which are at a bit of a distance from it, to take that on themselves instead. That is one thing I recommend.

On their support needs in emergency accommodation, we could do more in respect of case management by allowing for, say, lower case ratios, whereby a support case worker would be working with a lower number of families or households to be able to give them that support and spend more time with those who maybe have higher needs. That is another thing I recommend we explore.