Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

While there are a number of areas on which I could focus, like Deputy Brendan Ryan, I propose to focus on the issue of social housing, as it is an issue that effects my constituency considerably. While I am aware that the priority of this Government is jobs the housing crisis that is emerging will have to be addressed.

I am a member of the Labour sub-committee on housing which have been actively identifying specific areas that require precedence and focus by the Department. There is a developing crisis within this sector which is due to the shortage of supply. Currently, the demand for social housing units exceeds the supply to such an extent that it is effectively proving impossible for our local authorities to meet the needs of those most in need most vulnerable. Like some of my colleagues, my office is inundated with housing representations on a daily basis. This has increased significantly over the past nine months, due in particular to a combination of factors. My office is in weekly contact with the housing officers in Carlow and Kilkenny local authorities. We are also in contact with the housing organisations, Respond and Focus Ireland, which are also under tremendous pressure. Homelessness has become a pressing issue. We do not have in place adequate policies to ensure that individuals and families can avoid having to live on the streets.

Three weeks ago the Constitutional Convention made a decision to recommend that economic, social and cultural rights, including that to a home, are contemplated by the Constitution.

As a result of the action taken by the Government, we now have an economy which is on the cusp of recovery. Unfortunately, however, there is now an even greater demand on the system what was the case in previous years. The assessment of social housing need for 2014 reveals that there are 89,000 people who are in need of housing. This fact is further amplified by the current cap on rent allowance and high rental rates. The latter have resulted in a substantial reduction in the availability of private rented accommodation. In Kilkenny alone, the rental rate which obtains has reached a staggering €850 per month. When one visits various websites devoted to rented accommodation, it is often stated that those on the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, need apply. The RAS has played a pivotal role in recent years in delivering units within the private rented sector to those most in need of housing. I am of the view that emphasis must be placed on the private rented sector in the short term in order to alleviate the pressures on local authorities and housing organisations. Introducing a form of rent moderation or rent control in the private sector could provide to be a viable option. Most individuals and families are unable to access affordable private rented accommodation as a result of a lack of availability or because rental rates now exceed the cap. That which I suggest would merely be a form of crisis management and it is not intended to be a long-term solution. If we are to address the issue of rental rates in the short term, I suggest that an interdepartmental approach be taken by the Departments of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Social Protection and Public Expenditure and Reform.

In the long term, the Government must prioritise both direct provision and Part V provision. The Government and local authorities need to be directly involved in the roll-out of social housing into the future. This has always been Labour Party policy. I congratulate the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan who has taken heed of the concerns being raised by her colleagues and local authorities. Earlier this week funding was allocated for the direct provision of housing units in Carlow and Kilkenny. In that regard, €1.8 million was allocated to Carlow County Council and €1.5 million was allocated to Kilkenny County Council. In focusing on direct provision, perhaps the Government should investigate the option of the State offering subsidies or tax incentives through the provision of low cost loans instead of tax reliefs. This could work to increase the availability of properties, ensure the repayment of loans and provide private landlords with the option to renovate their properties and bring them up to standard. In doing so, they would be obliged to sign their properties into the rental accommodation scheme for a explicit period and offset the repayment of the loan against the scheme.

I am of the view that this is a positive debate as opposed to being a back-slapping exercise. It is important to point out that a great deal of good work has been done by the Government during the past three years.

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