Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. I congratulate Deputy Coffey on his appointment as Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government with special responsibility for housing. It is an important area and I wish him well in his role.

I wish to raise the efforts being made to provide accommodation for homeless people, which has been the subject of many debates in the House. I have received a number of submissions in this regard. For example, one relates to Galway city where there is a long housing waiting list. COPE Galway, a local charity, proposes an allocation of €500 million for the social housing building programme, with a portion of that ring-fenced to tackle homelessness, particularly in the context of the 2016 Government target to eliminate long-term homelessness and the need to help people who are sleeping rough.

I was a little concerned, as were many other Members, when Dublin City Council, DCC, brought forward a proposal to use prefabricated buildings on derelict or vacant sites to house homeless families. Most people reacted by asking why not consider permanent housing. When the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection was asked about this, she acknowledged there was a need to consider permanent housing and to examine the programme to refurbish many vacant housing units in Dublin. It would be useful if we concentrated on such housing for families and refurbished houses that are boarded up. I hope the funding DCC has received will be used as a priority for these buildings as well as for the social housing programme. The chief executive officer of ALONE said he was astounded that such a proposal would be made because he felt that had nothing to do with the dignity of a person. Many of us have fought for temporary accommodation for schools and so on. However, we should consider permanent housing solutions given the housing crisis we face.

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