Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Adams is well aware that what happened in this country over quite a long number of years left us in a position whereby we had neither the money nor the capacity to build what was needed in terms of affordable and social housing and to deal with the rising challenge of homelessness. It is a complex issue.

The Government spent quite an extensive period of time putting together all of the elements that relate to housing, be they homelessness, social and affordable housing, mortgage arrears, renters, voided dwellings and houses that are not in use for whatever reason. All of these factors have been included in the action plan for housing, the first chapter of which deals with homelessness. As Deputy Adams knows, the reasons for homelessness are not as simplistic as statistics might suggest. There are stories behind each of the cases of homelessness that the Government wants to address.

That is why, as the Minister, Deputy Coveney, pointed out yesterday, the detail of the first chapter of the action programme deals specifically with homelessness. We know from the report of the housing authority that 4,152 adults used State funded emergency accommodation nationally during one week in June 2016. That survey identified 1,078 families in emergency accommodation, consisting of 1,457 adults and 2,206 dependents. The number of homeless families increased from 620 in June 2015, a 74% increase, while the dependent figures increased by 67% and were 1,318 last May. Details of homeless families have been recorded since July 2014 when a total of 344 families with 749 dependents were homeless.

It is the recognition of these kinds of statistics that have brought about the significant investment by the Government. The challenge is to prove that the action plan works and will be implemented. That is why 47,000 social units are envisaged, with a spend of €5.3 billion to deal with this issue in a comprehensive way. Social units alone will not solve the problem. Rather, we will provide opportunities for those who are homeless to be housed with quick build and rapid build solutions, voided solutions, repairing houses, the acquisition of houses that are empty and, as the Deputy said, the opportunity to deal with mortgages. Significant numbers of previously distressed mortgagees are now paying their way.

The Minister for Justice and Equality will introduce a new service in respect of MABS for the thousands of cases - I understand the total is 35,000 - where there has been no communication between borrowers and lenders for whatever reason. We need to be able to deal with that in a different format rather than people receiving formal notices from banks. There is a solution to these problems, but they need to be worked on.

In respect of the discussion that took place yesterday and will take place again tomorrow, the challenge for the Government and everybody else is to make this work. I commended Deputy Curran and the Committee on Housing and Homelessness. The Government did not accept all of the recommendations, but a special appendix was inserted which dealt with each of the proposals made by the committee, which we welcomed. Not all of them were accepted, but they were commented upon favourably.

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