Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also congratulate the Irish Homeless World Cup team, which finished eight - a very creditable performance. There are a number of homeless street leagues in Cork, Galway, Waterford, Portlaoise, Longford, Wexford and Dublin. There is also one in Wheatfield Prison. Approximately 500 people participated in the street leagues and the primary target groups are the homeless, those dependent on drugs and alcohol, former offenders, refugees and asylum seekers, people resident in hostels, the long-term unemployed with learning disabilities, and increasingly those who have lost their jobs and homes and have found themselves homeless.

According to Focus Ireland, approximately 5,000 people are in some form of homeless situation. I know the figure the Minister of State quoted was less, but this is what Focus Ireland has advised us. It costs €80,000 to keep a person in prison for a year. This year the Irish team only received €9,000 from the FAI towards its participation in the Homeless World Cup. I do not believe they received any other money. When the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is handing money over to the FAI, it should point out that the FAI is allocating a paltry sum to the Homeless World Cup team, which is unacceptable. They have been involved in these sorts of tournaments since 2003 and this is just not good enough.

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