Mr. Brian Harvey:

Senators Murnane O'Connor and Grace O'Sullivan asked what can we do now, which is a good question that I will respond to in two ways. First, the big picture is about the issues that Mr. Allen has described. Second, we must increase the supply of local authority accommodation because that will take the pressure out of the system and, in terms of our concern in particular, the measure will ensure that homeless people get housed quicker, better, more affordably and in more secure ways. I would like to stress that our report has laid out short-term and procedural actions that can be changed quite quickly and are not costly.

The real problem is that many local authorities are in denial about this issue around treatment and the procedures that cause great stress, humiliation and so on. There are two parts to this matter. First, as has already been identified, it is important that all homeless people get caseworkers and advocacy workers. Second, there should be no waiting list for them while their vulnerability increases. In an ideal world they should not need caseworkers and advocacy workers if the system worked well but I digress.

In terms of who can do what regarding these changes, whether it is from storage depots, two strikes and out, prevention, signing in and so on, there is a sense in which local authorities will deny that. They may well regard Focus Ireland and ourselves, as researchers, as a nuisance to whom one does not need to pay an awful lot of attention. The Minister and his Department should send out clear and unambiguous signals about what Deputy O'Dowd spoke about, which is the need for respect, better treatment, better procedures and revising, considering, changing and improving them from top to bottom. I can assure members that they would be much more likely to listen to the Minister than to us. I also suspect they would be much more likely to listen to members than to us. Naming the issue, identifying it and bringing this measure up to ministerial and departmental levels to ensure the practical changes are made and signals are sent to the local authorities about what is appropriate and what is not would help. That is the small but absolutely vital picture that will improve exits from homelessness over the next number of years.