Ms Mary Hayes:

It is a very solid scheme and I would recommend it to any council. There are target groups. It if difficult to pick out target groups. Young people leaving care is another target group for us. We work with particular AHBs that buy properties particularly for young people leaving care. They are prioritised through the young people leaving care steering committees we work with through Tusla.

I might leave the question about mental health and homelessness to my NGO colleagues. We are conscious of the work of the HSE in terms of trying to improve the response to mental health and homelessness. It is recognised that there has been a deficit and work is ongoing there. I also commend some of the area of work that have made a difference in terms of mental health. Housing First in particular has worked with some very complex mental health cases that we have known as rough sleepers for many years in the Dublin region who have been tucked away and hidden away in caves in very out of the way spots, not necessarily in town, and who are very isolated. It is an absolutely amazing to see Housing First work with those people.

As for the tenant in situ scheme, I could tell the Senator all day long it is such a pleasure to have a tangible thing to offer someone when they come in. Prevention cannot just be talk; we need tangible tools to make it work.