Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get an opportunity to speak on such an important issue for the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. I was first elected to local government in 2009. In my time in local and national politics, housing has been one of the single biggest issues facing my constituency. It is not surprising that there is a housing crisis, given that little social housing has been constructed in recent years and that those in mortgage distress have been abandoned by the Government and its predecessors. Some 26 social houses have been constructed in Kilkenny since 2009 even though there are 2,800 people on the housing list in the county. The three emergency accommodation facilities in the county are all full at present and have waiting lists. These statistics do not take account of the number of families sleeping in overcrowded situations on sitting room floors or in unsuitable accommodation. There is just one emergency facility in Carlow. It is a facility for men. There is no emergency accommodation facility for women.

Many Deputies have offered stories of people who are facing eviction or are living in bed and breakfasts or hotels. We have to remember that real people, who are living with the daily realities of life in hotel rooms with their children, are behind all the stories we hear. I do not think we should forget that these people did not envisage this type of life for them and their families. They are living with a sense of hopelessness as they wonder how this has become the reality of their lives in 2016. It is clear that people have been failed miserably by the Government. Anyone in these circumstances who is listening to this debate is looking for solutions and answers. There is a responsibility on us to provide them. When Sinn Féin published its proposals regarding the housing and homelessness crisis last week, it emphasised the need for long-term and short-term approaches to it. One does not need much commonsense to realise that we need to start building social housing as part of a long-term approach. We also need to come up with short-term solutions to assist those who are dealing with the realities of bed and breakfast and hotel environments. Last week, my party made the case for a complete overhaul of the rent supplement scheme in conjunction with rent regulation measures. I will conclude by emphasising that coming up with constructive solutions and ensuring they are implemented should be a key element of a debate such as this one. Such an approach would offer real hope to families that are facing into another night in hotels and bed and breakfasts.

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