Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

Given the scale of the current housing crisis, the Minister's reply failed to provide sufficient detail. I note that one property has been available for homeless accommodation. I put it to the Minister that many more properties must be provided. It is ironic that the State is paying tens of millions of euro to subsidise private hoteliers who are providing short-term accommodation to meet current needs and address homelessness while a number of State properties are lying idle. While I am aware that a number of these properties do not fall fully within the jurisdiction of the Minister, I presume the Cabinet could do more than that which the Minister outlined. Some form of interdepartmental task force is required.

The issue came up particularly regarding Defence Forces property of which there is a considerable amount, including several dwelling houses which could be remediated for a relatively small amount of money. Yet, we have people evicted from those premises to be added to the growing local authority homeless lists. There is a wide portfolio of properties, many of which would not be suitable in their current state. Will the Minister, however, consider the idea of convening a task force to see what alternative uses could be made of State properties? There are many unemployed builders who could be used to remediate these properties and make them suitable for housing purposes which would be a far more sensible approach than subsidising the private sector.

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