Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I congratulate him and the Minister on their appointments and wish them well for their tenures in office, which we hope will be long.

The two issues arising are moveable feasts, for want of a better description. First, the numbers on the waiting list are constantly changing. One cause is that a number of people have shifted addresses repeatedly in recent years and, as a result, were not included in the updating process and were missed out in the programme. In County Kildare, there are 6,500 families registered on the housing list. That number is increasing daily. Second, 30 or so families are registered as being homeless, yet there is no homeless accommodation and no provision has been made for acquiring purpose-built houses. Would it be possible to develop a two-stage strategy to acquire urgently required emergency housing and to zone land or use currently zoned land to provide an adequate supply of houses adjacent to those areas where it is most needed?

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