Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I asked the Taoiseach if he had seen the RTE film "My homeless family". I was inundated with calls yesterday from people who were quite shocked by the revelations about the reality of homelessness in Ireland today, and particularly the plight of families in hotels. I do not know if the Taoiseach has seen the programme but it is important that he should do so. Yesterday, he dismissed my arguments on rent allowance, which many of the agencies are saying has driven many vulnerable families into homelessness.

The Taoiseach was also asked a specific question concerning NAMA's plans to build 20,000 houses. He was asked if he would instruct NAMA to ensure that 10,000 of those would be social houses. For some time, Deputy Barry Cowen has argued the case for building social houses and to tell NAMA to do so. When one looks at the sale of 442 apartments at Tallaght Cross West to a major international real estate investor for €83 million, it is extraordinary. It illustrates the bankruptcy in terms of the attitude of the State and the Government to homelessness and the lack of any urgency to get to grips with it. Those 442 apartments were sold for about €100,000 each, which is €90,000 less than the modular homes the Taoiseach cannot get built at the moment. Apparently, NAMA offered those apartments to the National Housing Agency and local authorities, but they decided to take up only 65 of them. Meanwhile, 1,600 children are in emergency accommodation of the kind we saw on the programme earlier this week.

Who is in charge? Why was the offer of apartments not taken up? Why did the State not buy them and get the families out of damp hotel rooms and bed-sits?

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