Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

By way of a preface, this committee spent a very considerable period of time last year trying to get both the Peter McVerry Trust and the Department of housing in front of it following the near collapse of the trust in the summer of 2023. Both the Department and the trust continue to refuse to come in until the two independent regulatory reviews were complete. I want to express my deep disappointment that the Peter McVerry Trust refused to attend the Committee of Public Accounts last week. Those two independent regulator reports have been published and I hope we will get time in the autumn to have both the two regulators and possibly the trust and the Department in front of the committee.

I also acknowledge the considerable effort made by Dublin City Council and the DRHE in helping to stabilise the situation following the near collapse of the trust, particularly in terms of the needs of almost 1,000 people, many of whom live with significant challenges in their lives including homelessness. Since Dublin City Council and the DRHE are present I have three quick questions.

A rescue package of approximately €15 million was agreed between the Government, the DRHE and the trust. Can Ms Hayes give any update or information on that? Also, I understand that is not money for free and there are some conditions attached. Will Ms Hayes explain those to the committee? One of the issues that will need to be addressed is the deficit funding and competitive tendering model. In my view, that created a context where bad decisions by people in that organisation have put people's well-being and lives at risk. Will Ms Hayes give us a sense of whether deficit funding and competitive tendering will continue as was or will there be any changes? Is Ms Hayes recommending any changes to ensure the kind of recklessness that was at the heart of the near collapse of the trust would not simply be possible into the future?