Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

The standard is poor, including nine inch cavity block walls, poor quality doors and windows, and no central heating. It is extremely uncomfortable and unhealthy to live in those conditions. Each year, a certain number of houses are provided with upgrades but it is a long way from meeting needs. I urge the Minister of State, who represents my constituency — although it is sometimes unclear where the benefits of this are in terms of housing — to deal with this issue.

I must put on record that 1,405 children are now homeless. We tend to think of housing as affecting women and men. These children are moving from one form of emergency accommodation to another and are losing out in health terms. They are unable to avail of vaccinations and conditions such as asthma are exacerbated by living in substandard accommodation. They are at a great disadvantage in terms of their educational chances. I hope and expect that the legislation introduced in respect of private rented accommodation will be enforced fully and that measures are put in place to ensure that every child has a desk at which he or she can do homework, for example. These are the simple measures that can make a difference to a person's life.

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