Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To say there is a crisis in the provision of social housing is certainly an understatement. The chronic problem is exemplified in County Kerry by the alarmingly high numbers on local authority housing lists. The Kerry County Council waiting list includes 1,292 qualified applicants, while the list for the council in Tralee stands at 1,779. The list for the council in Killarney stands at 894 and the list for the council in Listowel, 147. Many have been on the waiting list for between seven and ten years and there is certainly a sense of despair and frustration. Numerous people have given up hope and if they go to clinics or council housing offices, they come up against a closed door. There is an opportunity for the Government to make the necessary funding available to local authorities. That will naturally create an economic position that will lead to the provision of much-needed work, with spin-off advantages. We should look at the positives.

In my own county in 2013 two houses were completed and work on two more was commenced, while four houses were acquired through the provision in planning legislation. The number of vacant houses coming on stream is also quite low. If there is a vacant house, the time in the council getting the keys from the previous occupant, carrying out repairs and engaging in refurbishment can be lengthy. The Department should liaise with all councils and accelerate the timeframe for getting new tenants into houses. It is shameful to see properties locked or sometimes boarded up. We must address the issue immediately.

The rental accommodation scheme in County Kerry catered for 112 families on the waiting list in 2013. There is much merit in the scheme, but the 18 month qualification period should be reduced to six, as this would have a positive influence and expedite the provision of short to medium-term solutions for many on the waiting list.

The Government should take cognisance of the social housing assessment carried out by the local authorities countrywide last year. That study assessed 89,872 households as qualifying for housing support. The corresponding figure in 2008 was 56,249. This is a dramatic increase of 33,000 or more in five years. This must be rectified. The increase cannot be allowed to continue at that rate. Over half, 52%, of the households which qualified for social housing support were categorised as dependent on rent supplement. The next cohort, of over 20,000, or 23% was categorised as unsuitable accommodation due to particular circumstances. These statistics demonstrate the need for the Government to act with speed. This motion proposes that the Government start to build over 80,000 new houses over the next five years, as detailed in the report of the Housing Agency.

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