Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Nobody can disagree with the sentiments expressed by the Deputy. I am sure nobody in this House could describe the feelings of a person who has to fend for himself or herself on the streets of this city or others around the country. How can one describe the feelings of Mr. Corrie in the years, months, weeks and days before he passed away? The same applies to the families who find themselves homeless and who have to move to bed and breakfast accommodation or hotel rooms, or who end up on the streets. The situation to which the Deputy referred has been brought to light by the death of Mr. Corrie, but there has been a categorisation of the different elements involved, from those who are homeless and sleeping rough to those who have become homeless because of rent increases or a lack of space in terms of the availability of rooms, apartments and houses.

The longer term solution is as I outlined yesterday for the Deputy's party leader. The Government has reflected on and made decisions on this issue for some time. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, has outlined the allocation of €2.2 billion for social and affordable housing, including direct provision accommodation by local authorities, voluntary housing agencies and so on, to deal with the issue by 2020. He also set out the timelines and targets for what was to be achieved.

In the shorter term for some months Dublin City Council has been working on bringing back into use over 1,000 rooms and facilities which are, as it calls them, "voided". I understand 265 are being worked on and that targets have been set for others to be brought back into use. I outlined yesterday the number of emergency rooms which would be brought back into use between now and Christmas. In cases in which individual circumstances warrant an increase in rent supplement local authorities can deal with the matter.

The answer in the medium and longer term is not a general increase in rent supplement. We have to deal with the question of supply. That requires taking into account the processes for planning, as well as income streams for contractors and those who will buy affordable housing. We need to be able to drastically increase the supply, which is why the Government has made decisions and allocated money in that regard.

I agree with the Deputy that an emergency debate will not answer this question, nor will committee meetings, but they are part of a process in making decisions to put things into effect. As I said yesterday, in this day and age the vast majority of people in this city and others who sleep rough should not have to do so. Deputy Michael McGrath will be aware that some cases are very complex and that the circumstances that apply in each individual case are different. As he knows, Mr. Corrie was offered accommodation on many occasions, but, as was his right, he chose not to accept it.

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