Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 25 October 2018

Public Accounts Committee

2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency

9:00 am

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We will revert to it when we see it.

I will pick Mr. McCarthy up on something that he mentioned in his opening statement. He said: "The numbers presenting to homeless services continue to be very challenging." He also referred to "pathways to more sustainable housing." He stated: "A record 4,729 adults exited homelessness into an independent tenancy in 2017." Nearly 10,000 people were in homelessness in 2017. If we add the 4,729 adults who experienced homelessness, does that not mean that the situattion was much worse, in that 14,000 or more experienced it?

I do not understand why the fact that people exited homelessness is almost presented as a positive. The very fact that they were homeless to begin with reinforces the point that the overall number who have experienced homelessness is more than 10,000. Does Mr. McCarthy agree that that is the case?