Ms Jackie Finney:

On family hubs I have referred to supported emergency accommodation. There is a facility called Teach Fáilte in Mullingar, which is a wonderfully run facility. The aim is that similar family hubs will be rolled out through the region. The Department is supportive of this, and it really is an alternative. It is emergency accommodation, so it has gone past where we have managed to prevent people going into homelessness. However, it is to address some of the concerns about the suitability of accommodation. My colleague spoke about children growing up sharing a room in bed and breakfast accommodation and not having adequate outdoor space or to learn how to walk.