Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Do not talk to me about debates. I know very well the effects of homelessness and the Minister knows the reasons why. It affects my family directly and I have spoken about that in the past. The responses I got from some of the Minister's own party colleagues go to show that it is not just he who is arrogant. The whole Labour Party is arrogant when it comes to homelessness.

In the time left, I want to talk briefly about some of the solutions. There are solutions which the Minister could implement immediately. I have a particular interest in drug addiction when it comes to homelessness. One of the biggest issues for recovering addicts is that when they come out of rehab they do not have step-down facilities. They are being forced back into homeless hostels where drug use is rampant in many cases. That is not the environment into which we should put people who are trying to beat addiction.

In addition, some people on the methadone programme may be getting their methadone administered through a homeless hostel. Last week, I met one young girl in an accident and emergency department who, for whatever reason, had a falling out with a particular hostel. It should be remembered that we are dealing with people who have chronic addiction and mental health issues. As she was asked to leave the hostel, she slept that night in a multi-storey car park and missed her methadone that day.

The following day she went to the accident and emergency department in Cork to try to get some methadone. However, due to the delays in our health service and because they would not administer methadone until she had a psychological evaluation and had spoken to a psychiatrist, she missed her methadone for a second day. Anyone who knows anything about addiction will know that if someone does not take their methadone for 48 hours they have to go back to a 20 millilitre dose. This young girl was on 70 millilitres at the time. However, because of a policy failure which forced this girl back on to the streets, she could not access methadone and had to start again at 20 millilitres, which was insufficient. Her only solution, rightly or wrongly, was to go back out and start using heroin again. That is the reality.

Over 50% of people on our housing lists are single persons. They have no hope of being housed under the Minister's social housing building programme. He is talking about houses for families, which is all well and good, but not every homeless person is part of a family. There are individuals with mental health issues, drug addiction and other social issues that prevent them from independent living.

The Minister has been talking recently about how we are going to solve the crisis by building 150 modular houses. That is great. The 150 houses will cater for those who will become homeless this month and next month, but no one else will benefit. The Minister says it is an interim measure but unfortunately I do not believe that. Direct provision was supposed to be an interim measure, as was housing people in hostels and hotels, yet they are now becoming permanent measures.

The Minister talks about the RAS and HAP schemes as solutions. I do not know what it is like in the Minister's county council in Tipperary, but I know what is happening in Cork City Council. People come to my constituency office asking to get out of RAS because it is not working for them. They are in sub-standard accommodation. That is the reality.

I do not want to eat into Deputy Ellis's time because I know he wants to conclude the debate. I will therefore finish on this point. The Minister is right to say that we all have to work together, but we can only do so if the Minister is willing to sit down and listen to people like us and Fr. Peter McVerry, and not criticise us. The Minister should not say he has all the solutions while we do not have any. We have solutions and we need to implement them. The first thing the Minister should do is declare a national emergency.

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