Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is why NAMA has offered 4,000 units, although only 2,000 have been taken up. Fully 5,000 homes will be added to the social housing stock his year because the Government has a Minister of State with responsibility for housing. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, is working exceptionally hard right across the spectrum in this area. The position is quite distressing although we have allocated, through public funding, serious money.

The national homeless budget this year will be maintained at €45 million. Can somebody explain to me why we have 154 people sleeping on the streets in this city this week? There are quite a number of agencies dealing with this. They will be in before the social committee, as will the city manager, next Monday. If this is an emergency, why is it that somebody cannot say, "You are sleeping in doorway X here; I have got a bed for you for the night"? I know that there are people with particular personal problems that make it very difficult for this to be achieved, but we should not in 2014 have a situation where 154 people, according to some of the agencies, are sleeping on the streets in this city on a nightly basis when we are allocating €45 million for the purpose of dealing with the homeless. The Deputy can take it from me that I will bring a new focus to this. I am completely unhappy with this situation where I hear constantly that these numbers are increasing on a regular basis.

Now, I do not know all of the details of the different sectors, whether they are because landlords say people have to move out because they are getting better prices for their rent or because of personal circumstances or because it may be psychiatric problems or medical problems or whatever. The fact of the matter is, if these are emergencies, then in 2014 we have to be able to deal with them. I do not see why if, as has happened, even in the-----

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