Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Second Stage debate on the Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013. This is another important debate in the current economic climate and the context of the huge housing shortage. There are thousands of people on waiting lists for local authority homes and many residents are in mortgage distress, some of whom face repossession and other horrific problems. That is the reality for many and the Government needs to wake up to it.

This is a technical Bill which amends section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 which relates to local authority rents and facilitates significant harmonisation of the approach taken by housing authorities in determining rents for their accommodation, while also providing elected members of local councils with some discretion in setting the rent parameters in their areas. This issue has been the subject of debate in the House for many years. Having served for five years on Dublin City Council, I support the giving of power to local authority members.

The Bill amends the text of section 31 as follows: "That the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel prevents the enactment from being commenced in an orderly sequence". It also deletes from section 31 the text which conflicts with the rents system, whereby charges are determined by reference to household composition and income and, where applicable, the cost of facilities provided for dwellings. I note that the Government wishes to enact the Bill quickly so as to remove the obstacle to harmonising local authority rents as the next stage in a series of social housing reform measures provided for in the 2009 housing Act. Early enactment of the Bill will enable the new rent system to be introduced from January 2014.

The harmonisation of rents is also an essential measure in paving the way for the introduction of the housing assistance scheme which will transfer responsibility for long-term rent supplement recipients from the Department of Social Protection to the local authorities.

These are the important issues in the legislation that we need to discuss. We must also face the reality that there are many people in local authority housing, particularly social housing projects. In my constituency of Dublin Bay North a group of senior citizens in St. Anne's Court in Raheny, whom I met recently, have major problems with dampness and leaks in their accommodation and need support. When we discuss legislation, we should think of the people directly affected by the debate that takes place in this House. I am standing up for the residents of St. Anne's Court who do not need talk or waffle about legislation, rather they need our support and action. That is an important point to make.

I wish to focus on the issue of housing, particularly for people with disabilities. The housing adaptation fund within the remit of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is being cut by 40%, from €54 million to €34 million nationally. This fund is allocated to local authorities to provide for adapting private housing to meet the needs of disabled people, ranging from children born with disabilities to older citizens who have developed mobility issues and everyone in between. The fund tended to run out mid-year in most local authorities and as it is being cut by 40%, God only knows how long it will last throughout the year. This directly contradicts the policies on people with disabilities brought forward by the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan; the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. The national housing strategy for people with a disability 2011 to 2016 identifies nine strategic goals, the top three of which are related to providing adequate housing or for housing adaptations for people with disabilities, the fund for which has now been cut by a factor of 40%. It is also important that this issue be raised.

We cannot have a society that constantly discriminates against adults with a disability. I raised with the Tánaiste this morning the issue of provision for young children with Down's syndrome. The Government needs to examine the provision of resource hours, which are badly needed. Every year between 120 and 130 children with Down's syndrome are born in this country. Of that number, eight will have access to good services. I acknowledge that there are good examples of services being provided in the primary sector, but children with Down's syndrome are excluded. I thank my colleagues for the massive turnout last week at the meeting at which we met the parents. Let us unite on this issue because we can do something about the provision of resource hours for people with disabilities.

On the broader housing issue and needs in society, in 2011 there were 43,578 households with children identified as being in need of social housing. On further examination of the details, 57%, or 24,819, of households with children identified as being in need of social housing had one child; 27.1%, or 11,792, had two children; 10.2%, or 4,434, had three children; while the remaining 5.8%, or 2,533, had four or more children. The number of households with children identified as being in need of social housing has increased by 57.3% since 2008. We need to be radical, creative and to do something about this issue. We must examine how money is spent on providing for the housing needs of the people concerned. In 2011, 28.9%, or 12,998, of households with children identified as being in need of social housing were in County Dublin; 66%, or 28,768, were one-parent households; while the remaining 34% were two-parent households. Once we know the facts and the reality, we must come up with a strategic plan. The Bill is part of that reaction.

When one digs deeper into the legislation, one notes that the Minister has the power to make regulations prescribing the specific matters each housing authority must include in its rent scheme. Certain text in section 31 of the 2009 Act precludes it from being brought into operation in a way that will ensure a clear statutory basis for housing authorities to charge rents during the transition from the current basis. The Bill also seeks to amend section 31 in order that the provision can be brought into operation in a sequence that will ensure a clear statutory basis for housing authorities to charge rents during the transition to the new regime. Section 1(a) of the Bill proposes an amendment to section 31(5) of the 2009 Act by way of the substitution of a revised provision for paragraph (a) which requires a housing authority, not later than the date prescribed by the Minister for the purposes for the section, to make a rent scheme providing the manner in which rents and other charges will be determined. These are the nitty gritty details of the legislation.

Budget 2013, published on 5 December, provided for significant cuts to the overall social housing budget. A total of €585 million has been allocated for housing measures in 2013, a reduction on the allocation of €691 million in 2012. Since 2008 the budget allocated for the overall housing programme has been cut by 54%, from €1.5 billion in 2008 to €585 million in 2013. The consistent reductions in capital expenditure on social housing since 2010 fall into line with Government policy. This is to reduce the total number of new build housing units and direct capital investment in housing by relying on the private sector as the source of social housing units, through initiatives such as the rental accommodation scheme and the leasing scheme. We must be radical and creative, but we must also be compassionate, as we have a major housing problem. Sadly, those who acted madly during the era of the property bubble have caused damage, which is an important point. These issues must be dealt with in a strong and comprehensive manner.

I thank the Chair for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate, but we must ensure that when we talk about housing, we consider those who are not able to get a loan or a mortgage; they are the ones we must support.

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