Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I thank and congratulate the Chairman. It has been said that we have nine weeks to do our work. As that is obviously a short timeframe we must ensure we are constructive, not just talking at these meetings but actually coming up with solutions. Therefore, we need to decide some of the practical issues today, such as how often will the committee meet. I suggest we meet at least once a week, if not more frequently. It is a regional problem but it is concentrated more in the cities of Dublin, Limerick and Cork and is a major issue everywhere.

I believe that not only should we be inviting groups to attend here, we should also be willing to travel. As a committee, we have a national remit for other areas and for achieving a regional balance. We must not just speak to representative groups involved but to individuals who are going through homelessness, in emergency accommodation or who have a different story in order to get a flavour of the situation at regional level also. This is important. We need to look at the issue from both a long-term and short-term viewpoint and to review the State supports in the private rental market, which are a short-term measure.

Today, however, we should focus on practical issues, such as how often we will meet. We should consider not just meeting here but being willing to travel to other areas outside of Dublin where there are housing problems.