Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The social housing programme has collapsed in most constituencies, including mine. Dublin City Council figures show that last year, 16,600 families and individuals were on its housing waiting list, with 7,538 on the transfer list. A total of 32% of applicants were waiting more than five years, with 2,544 waiting more than seven years. I describe these figures as deeply damaging to the credibility of Dublin City Council and the Government. In addition, Fingal County Council confirmed to me that 9,082 families and individuals were waiting for housing on its council housing list.

When Members of this House are able to retire to our comfortable homes or lodgings after long days in the Dáil, 80 to 90 people will be sleeping on the streets of this city. They will sleep outside on this very night as they have done over recent bitter November nights. It is unacceptable and disgraceful.

Like other Members I receive many phone calls and e-mails from constituents. I meet many of them at my weekly information clinics who are in dire straits with regard to housing. They describe very difficult home circumstances. They may be on a housing waiting list for anything from five to 13 years. A typical example is a young woman with three children who has been living for the past five or six years in very cramped conditions with her adult siblings and her parents in a modest two-bedroom house.

A few weeks ago I asked the Taoiseach whether a social housing investment programme would be implemented in 2012. I have studied budget 2013 as best I can but I have not found any evidence of any serious intent on the part of this Government to address this issue. I estimate that perhaps only a few dozen individuals and households were rehoused in the past year in my constituency out of the 4,000 on the Dublin North-Central housing list.

The Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, is committed to tackling the issue but it is impossible for any progress to be made unless proper funding is allocated to kick-start the social housing programme. This would also have a beneficial effect on the construction industry.

I have spoken about the appalling treatment of citizens who have been left on the waiting list, in some cases for up to 15 years. I have long urged Dublin City Council to move away from its historic points-based, priority-based housing list system to a system based on time on the list, as used in Fingal County Council. I am a former Dublin City Council councillor. The council last week decided to move to the system of time on the list, which is a fair and transparent system. It is a case of first come, first served. It now awaits the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to sign the regulation. When will he sign that regulation?

Under the Fianna Fáil regime led by Ahern and Cowen, the failure of local authorities to provide social housing meant a massive growth in the private rental sector. In the past five years since 2007, almost €3 billion has been expended on rent supplement allowances. This money has gone into the pockets of private landlords. Ordinary constituents wonder why that money was not used to fund a housing programme.

When will the promised housing Bill come before the House? I refer in particular to provisions in respect of the administration of voluntary housing bodies. My constituency has organisations such as NABCO, Iveagh Trust, Respond and Clúid. There is no legislation governing estate management and tenancy and it is urgently needed.

The Minister, Deputy Hogan, gave two deadlines - the first Sunday in September and then a further ten days - to the developers, builders, auctioneers, insurance companies in respect of the pyrite disaster. He keeps issuing deadlines but when will he take action? When will he decide to levy the industry which did those terrible things to households? People are upset that they are expected to pay a housing tax - which the House will discuss tomorrow - on houses which are worthless because they need to be remediated. I ask the Minister of State to bring these points to the attention of the Minister.

On a final point, I ask the Minister of State to ask if the Minister will join us next Monday at 7.30 p.m. at Priory Hall for a candlelight vigil. Those families - a total of 250 people - are facing a second Christmas out of their homes at Priory Hall. I am sure they would be delighted to see him at the vigil next Monday night at Priory Hall.

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