Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy well knows, many of the problems stem from a chronic lack of supply of housing, which is causing knock-on problems across the property market and the wider society, including renters, first-time buyers and low-income households. What we have to do is take action to resolve it, as the Deputy is calling for. That is what this Government is doing. As the House will be aware, the Government is progressing a number of suitable property and policy solutions for families who are in emergency accommodation.

There is a range of measures already under way taken by the Minister and by the Government. I will mention a few of them. For example, returning void units to full use is in train. The Minister, Deputy Kelly, has indicated to local authorities that additional funding will be made available. Indeed, he has made additional funding available in circumstances where local authorities exceed their 2015 targets. The most recent projections we have indicate that over 2,500 voids will be returned nationally by year's end. I am giving that as an example.

As regards the scale of homelessness, we accept that we have a problem. Some 3,372 adult individuals used State-funded emergency accommodation nationally during a week in August 2015. Those figures identify 707 families in emergency accommodation consisting of 959 adults and 1,496 dependants. We understand that the problem is serious and we are addressing it.

How are we addressing it? In 2015, there was an allocation in the Dublin region of €37.16 million. That was confirmed for the Dublin region and represents more than 70% of all the funding allocated nationally. The Dublin region homeless executive has confirmed that its expenditure to the end of August was €33.4 million with further expenditure committed but not yet paid out. These are the actions that are being taken.

Officials of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government are in ongoing liaison with the Dublin region homeless executive and Dublin City Council on further possible 2015 requirements.

The Deputy raised the issue of modular housing. I note that the latter proposal, which is only one aspect of resolving this problem, has been well received by organisations, including NGOs and other interested bodies and individuals in this sector. They have welcomed it.

The Government has approved the immediate initiation of a programme for the early delivery of 500 modular housing units. They will be delivered in two tranches of 150 and 350. The first 150 units are planned to be delivered within four months, on sites in the Dublin City Council area, utilising the most expeditious procurement and planning provisions available to us.

A parallel process to develop a national framework will be overseen by the Office of Government Procurement to address the issue raised by the Deputy. This framework will be used to deliver the additional 350 units I mentioned. It will also be available to any local authority to procure further modular housing.

There are many other policy instruments that are being adopted and pursued by the Minister and the Government, including tenancy protection and the allocation of local authority tenancies. We have a taskforce on social housing and homelessness.

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