John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this issue. I may not have the comprehensive reply he wants but I will bring his concerns to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Hogan. The current economic crisis is severely testing the capacity of the State to meet social housing need. Financial considerations mean local authorities are effectively no longer engaged in large-scale housing stock construction programmes at the very time when demand for housing services is at its greatest. The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, sets out a new approach for housing provision that recognises these key unfortunate realities. It is specifically predicated on a tenure-neutral approach that focuses on enabling households to access the housing solution that best suited to their needs at a point in time. While home ownership is still a very valid aspiration for a majority of households, it is no longer the acme of all tenure options.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with the housing authorities and with not-for-profit approved housing bodies, is engaging in a range of innovative and flexible housing solutions to meet housing need in general, and homelessness in particular. I acknowledge the Deputy's campaigning work on behalf of the homeless I sympathise with the fact that up to 80 people are sleeping on the streets of Dublin tonight. I cannot even imagine what it must be like on such a cold evening. I appreciate the Deputy's point about homelessness.

The Department's approach to homelessness is to focus on providing people with a home where they can live as full and valued members of society.

That is why Government policy in this area is moving to a housing-led approach rather than the traditional model that places hostel or shelter-type accommodation at the centre of accommodation provision. This change will take time to implement, but the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, is committed to seeing it through. People deserve the dignity of a home. We must obviously bear in mind the financial constraints.

Early in the new year, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, will be issuing a policy statement on homelessness. This will indicate what we expect from housing authorities and other stakeholders in accelerating progress towards realising the ambition of eliminating involuntary long-term homelessness. The Minister of State has sought to put in place real solutions for people who find themselves without a home. Investment of nearly €50 million has been provided by central and local government in the provision of homelessness services in 2012.

With regard to wider demand for social housing, the Government's focus is on optimising the delivery of social housing for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential that we tailor the use of available Exchequer supports to prevailing conditions and explore the full range of solutions to address housing needs.

The social housing capital budget has had to be reduced from €1.535 billion in 2008 to just over €333.7 million this year - this is a considerable reduction - and the financial parameters within which we will be operating for the coming years rule out a return to large capital-funded construction programmes. Nevertheless, the Minister of State is committed to responding more quickly and on a larger scale to social housing support needs across the country through a variety of mechanisms, including through increased provision of social housing. Delivery is being significantly facilitated through more flexible funding models such as the rental accommodation scheme and leasing, but the Minister of State is also developing other funding mechanisms that will increase the supply of permanent new social housing. In spite of these challenging circumstances, a tentative projection of 4,000 housing units is anticipated for 2012.

The Minister of State will continue to target available resources to ensure the critical housing needs of the most vulnerable sectors of our society are addressed. Precise data are critical in this regard, which is why the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will in 2013 carry out a full housing-needs assessment, the first such assessment to be carried out under the 2009 housing Act. This will give a comprehensive picture of real need and help to direct scarce resources to best effect.

I will pass on Deputy Broughan's concerns on Priory Hall to the Minister, Deputy Hogan.

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