Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for coming in. I have a couple of questions, the first of which is for the representatives of the children's ombudsman. Why do they think the scale of child and family homelessness is not a national scandal? It is institutionalisation and we know that it leaves lasting damage. Do they see a future requirement for a redress scheme for children who have been through homelessness, given that the State is failing to protect them and given the level of institutionalisation that is going on? Do they agree with the statement that children are invisible and hidden in homelessness in Ireland, particularly in relation to the counting of children? Do they know how many children have been through emergency accommodation, for example, in the last ten years in Ireland?

The DRHE is obviously doing huge work in trying to prevent homelessness and support families who are in it. Does Ms Hayes think we are failing these children and that they are being institutionalised in a way that is deeply damaging to them? Have they concerns that the recent changes in the rental sector, including the change to allow inter-tenancy rent increases, will lead to a potential rise in homelessness, particularly given the issue of HAP? Do they think that between now and 1 March we might see a rise in evictions, with landlords seeking to get in before the changes are brought in? In terms of their own data, do they have figures on how many children presented as homeless in Dublin last year? How many children have been homeless and through emergency accommodation in Dublin in the last decade?

What Mr. Mulhern of Dublin City Council put forward as a solution to homelessness is social housing and the delivery of same. How would he rate the prospects of the delivery of social housing in Dublin in the coming years? I ask him to comment, in particular, on the decision of the Minister for housing to withdraw funding from the social housing PPPs. Does he see that as damaging to social housing delivery in the short term in Dublin?