Michael Fitzpatrick (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, which will improve housing services and delivery by giving effect to the programme for social housing measures outlined in the Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities policy document published in 2007.

In welcoming the Bill I wish to make some comments on the homeless. I welcome the publication of this Bill and believe, when passed, it will improve the quality of housing services provided by local authorities. However, with constructive amendments, we can make a positive impact to end long-term homelessness. In particular, I would like to see the provisions outlined in the Government's programme on the homeless strategy, The Way Home, included in the Bill. Placing the issue of long-term homelessness on a statutory footing will ensure all local authorities and statutory agencies will have to meet their commitments.

I would like provisions on the right to housing for those in need, a new legal definition of homelessness and a greater level of standardisation in housing needs assessment and local authority allocation schemes included in the Bill. I ask the Minister of State to put the issue of homelessness at the heart of this Bill.

The standards and quality of local authority housing have improved enormously. It is now difficult to identify whether a scheme has been built by a local authority or a private company. Unfortunately, there are people involved in anti-social behaviour in some local authority housing schemes. It is imperative that all of us, particularly those in local authorities, ensure people involved in such behaviour are eliminated from the communities and not allowed to destroy an entire estate or community. Everything must be done in accordance with the law. The new policing boards will have an important role to play and they should have an input into the assessment of the suitability of people for local authority housing.

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