Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Minister's efforts to deal with a very difficult situation. I also acknowledge the fact that a previous Minister for Social and Family Affairs indicated about seven years ago an intention to transfer responsibility for that particular area to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, but it did not happen in that length of time.

Notwithstanding all of this, is it possible in the interim at least to address the most sensitive issues that have been brought to our attention, including particular pockets where the competition for accommodation is so great that people in difficult circumstances have no option but to live in a caravan or become homeless? I, and I am sure everyone else, have seen situations in recent weeks involving people who were homeless and had nowhere to go. It is an awful, tragic situation that the Minister inherited from her predecessor. I do not wish to blame her predecessors but they should not take the opportunity to crow too much about it either.

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