Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On that basis, a circular clarifying the situation would be very important. A pot of money has been allocated to acquire properties where it makes sense to do so. We could be waiting for one and four bedroom properties to come up and, at the same time, we could be allowing families to go into emergency accommodation when they are in properties that meet their needs and will prevent them from going into homelessness. We must be very clear that there is no confusion at local authority level on that issue. It is just too important. It makes no sense to be adding housing stock, on the one hand, while allowing people to drift into homelessness, on the other. There is a huge cost. I am not talking about the financial cost but the emotional, social and psychological costs to individuals and families, including their extended families and communities, of becoming homeless. That must be clarified. There should not be any hesitation at local authority level.

Will Ms Timmons tell us what has been done to prevent young people leaving care and entering homelessness? Young people are in care for a reason, namely, because they need care. Just because they turn 19 it should not become a case of one day to the next. Humanity is not like that. What is being done to prevent that cliff-edge transition from care to homelessness?