Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

They never did it. The homelessness debate is complex and there are major issues in many aspects of housing policy, both public and private. It will probably surprise many of the Deputies opposite to hear that more than 1,000 social units will be purchased or built directly by local authorities this year. It will also probably surprise them to hear that approximately 3,000 new leasing arrangements will be entered into for social housing tenants through leasing programmes. These programmes typically run for ten to 20 years and are often with approved housing bodies, as opposed to private landlords. It will probably surprise the Deputies to hear that more than 2,500 vacant social housing units will be refurbished this year.

While the Deputies in the Opposition opposed the establishment of the housing assistance payment, HAP, which allows people housing support while encouraging them to work, more than 4,000 new applicants for HAP will be on-stream this year who were not previously in receipt of rent supplement. That is 4,000 more people having their housing needs met. I have no doubt that in their constituency clinics, the Deputies encourage people to apply for such schemes, even though they find nonsense reasons to oppose them constantly in the House.

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