Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this critical debate. In regard to Deputy Finian McGrath's contribution, the homeless figures are not static. For example, last year 2,000 people and families left homelessness but unfortunately other people have since become homeless. As the Minister, Deputy Kelly, said, 17,000 people will be housed through a variety of mechanisms. Also, on taking up the position of Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, took on board a very difficult situation. At that time, it was the policy of many local authorities to board up houses. These became a blight on estates and resulted in huge anti-social problems, particularly in our cities and larger towns, and resulted in people not wanting to be housed in such estates. I am glad to say that since taking up the position of Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly has tackled that problem, which is borne out in the table of figures which Deputies have in regard to the last two years.

I would like to make a couple of points in regard to the significance and importance of rent supplement and how important it is in terms of the State's involvement in the private rented sector. Many years ago, in the context of the casino capitalism model operated by Fianna Fáil at the height of the boom, social housing went out of fashion with local authorities and, in particular, the then Government. While some social housing continued to be built people did not want to live in the huge estates of yesteryear. I accept there was merit in that but the consequence was that social housing construction dried up. The crash then stopped it altogether.

Between rent supplement, the housing assistance payment and the rental accommodation scheme, the State effectively funds one third of the private rented sector. This year, the Government has provided €450 million for those schemes to support 98,000 households, which is almost 100,000 households. A key focus of the Government has been how it can make things better for families. The housing assistance payment, introduced in 2014-----

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