Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Since the Government took office, we have had a major housing crisis. I extend my sympathy to the family and friends of Mr. Jonathan Corrie who died only a stone's throw from Leinster House. I hope his death has finally kicked the Government into action.

The Government's recent proposals on housing placed little emphasis on the emergency housing crisis. It is clear that the increase in homelessness has been caused by people losing their homes as a result of rent increases. The caps applied to the rent supplement and rental accommodation schemes are being breached by landlords. Families in emergency accommodation are spending lengthy periods in hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation and hostels which were intended to provide a temporary solution. The long-term answer to the problem is to deliver more social housing.

What we need is a plan to enable people to access places immediately. Rent controls which the Government has resisted are necessary to stop the haemorrhage of people from the rent supplement and rental accommodation schemes into homelessness. Figures show that 45 families were made homeless in the past month and that 168 people were recorded as sleeping rough on one night in Dublin alone. Every night 2,580 adults and 798 children are housed in emergency accommodation. We do not know the true figure because some people are living in cars, sleeping on sofas in other people's homes or finding other places to sleep. We do not know anything about these people.

State properties and properties owned by the National Asset Management Agency, abandoned buildings and other innovative options should be utilised. I have been on the soup run on which I have seen appalling sights. Furthermore, families housed in hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation do not have cooking facilities or amenities and their children do not have anywhere to go. They are isolated from their extended families and children must travel across the city to attend school.

Government statements suggesting it will end long-term homelessness in 2016 are farcical considering the scale of the problem, as is the claim that it will end waiting lists by 2020. According to the Taoiseach, officials and representatives of the housing agencies and local authorities will meet next Thursday. A series of constructive steps are needed, not a talking shop. The Government was quick to allocate €700 million from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to Irish Water. It should consider this option as a means of securing more funding to deal with the issue of homelessness.

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