Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

It most certainly is. If the economic fortunes of this country are turning and revenues are beginning to tighten, the first thing that will not be cut are services to homeless people. I want an assurance from the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance — the Minister for Health and Children is sitting beside him and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who is the line Minister, was present earlier — that the funding for the provision of services for the homeless will be continued. A great deal of work was put into formulating a homelessness strategy, which all parties supported, with the objective of ending homelessness in 2010. Much work was done at national and local level on securing locations and so forth. Now, however, the Health Service Executive, presumably at the direction of the Government, is cutting the funding. It will not happen, a Cheann Comhairle. It must not happen to the homeless.

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