Ms Marcella Stakem:

We have found from our research too that lone parents are overrepresented in tenancies and private rental accommodation. Almost 50% of new HAP tenancies in 2022 were lone parents. We have concerns there, particularly around the income side of things and income adequacy, but also as to the standards in some HAP tenancies. We get feedback from our members right across the country that there are some really poor standards of accommodation. I want to highlight at this stage that our overarching main recommendation, which brings in those standards but also the tenant in situ scheme, is that we would like to see the NHAC child and family subgroup be reconvened. It is a really important space to discuss, highlight and put forward policy and legislative solutions some of which we are speaking about today. There are currently proposals to add additional subgroups to the NHAC subgroups but as well as that happening we really need to see a focus on getting those subgroups back in action. We have not met for more than a year and, all the while, homelessness has deteriorated, particularly for lone-parent families. We are also recommending that the child poverty and well-being unit from the Department of an Taoiseach would join that group as part of the subgroup because it has an important remit around early intervention and addressing and preventing child poverty.