Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has inherited a dreadful legacy in her social housing portfolio. This is the result of long periods of neglect and under-provision by previous Administrations. Let us take a moment to consider this legacy of neglect. There are 100,000 people on housing lists, long queues on transfer lists and homelessness and hostel figures have reached unprecedented levels. There is also another waiting list of tenants waiting for repairs, new doors, windows, heating and insulation to their homes. While figures are important, they do not fully express, capture or measure the anxiety, helplessness and frustration of families who long for a house to make their home. Despite the scale of the problem facing her, the Minister of State has risen to this challenge and ably secured significant sums for social housing. She has, for example, obtained €15 million for refurbishment and a further €15 million for initial new construction. A successful application has been made to the European Union for a loan of €100 million in EU funds to make ready vacant apartment blocks in three cities. This is a very impressive start to her efforts to tackle a seemingly intractable problem.

On behalf of those on the housing list, many of whom visit my clinics every week, I want to know whether the era of neglect of social housing has come to an end. I also seek a reassurance that the Government takes a different attitude to social housing from its predecessors and has a commitment to it.

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