Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Government has stated consistently in this regard, it is not tolerable that in Ireland today, families and children such as Áine's are living in emergency accommodation or are having difficulty accessing such accommodation. That is why this issue is a priority for the Government. That is why the housing committee was established before all others and it did its work and made its report.

We are all extremely conscious of the legacy of the housing bust and we need to work every day to remedy it and especially to work directly to ensure that families are not left in the situation the Deputy describes. Many of the problems stem, as the Deputy well knows, from the chronic lack of supply of housing, which is causing knock-on problems for everyone - renters, first-time buyers and low-income households. Every possible action is being taken in the most speedy manner to ensure that families will get the housing they need. The housing committee has identified a range of initiatives. The Minister has said that he will respond to that urgently. The question of whether the Dáil will debate the report is one for the business of the Dáil committee to agree on.

We have the new Cabinet Minister with responsibility for housing, planning and local government and a reformed Department to take on these challenges. The action plan for housing will of course address the issue of homelessness. Local authorities are being given greater scope to respond more quickly to the kind of situation the Deputy has described. They have been given more funding to increase the supply of the kind of accommodation that we need. More than 220 families have secured accommodation under the homeless housing assistance payment, HAP, pilot and there is an uplift under this pilot to 50% as announced in the last budget. That has had a positive effect. The work is ongoing. The crisis is not going to be resolved overnight but the Deputy knows that it is a priority for the Government, as it is for everyone in this House, to take action to address the issue, to give as much support as possible and to provide, in the first instance, temporary accommodation to people who find themselves in the position of the woman that the Deputy has outlined.

See this speech in context