Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The real tragedy of this emergency is that it was perfectly predictable. The families who I have been meeting for the past two to three years, and not two to three months, have been struggling to find accommodation within the rent caps, which were way below market rents. They are no different from other families. They all find it impossible to comprehend that homelessness is something that can happen to them.

The crisis has presented even further challenges to charities, which are trying to provide services for homeless people with more complex challenges. They should not be entities that are criticised. The problem is that we are back to making quick-fix solutions. The one statistic that keeps cropping up is that there is a huge need for housing units to meet the needs of single people or couples, and at the same time there is a huge under-use of buildings that could be brought into use. Initiatives on the fiscal side could potentially deliver some of that accommodation quickly and free up larger accommodation for families. The financial contribution scheme, for example, was very popular in the Dublin city area and if that was replicated around the country, it would provide accommodation for older people, which would have the effect of freeing up houses for families.

While there is nothing wrong with modular or system-built housing, it needs a two-staged approach. For example, if accommodation is built near universities, it can then become student accommodation over time and it has a longer lifespan. It does not mean that it is permanent accommodation for the people who are temporarily accommodated in it.

Another issue is that the housing assistance payment scheme will cause serious administrative problems for local authorities, but that has not even been thought about.

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