Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There has been a 32% increase in those recorded as sleeping rough during the past year. This happened on the Taoiseach's watch. Two weeks ago, we saw the relaunch of most of the same proposals that were announced in July, in the Government's action plan for housing. There were many promises but there was very little sign of real progress. While the announcement of 200 additional emergency beds for rough sleepers is welcome, these are emergency beds, not a permanent solution for the trauma of those who are rough sleepers or homeless.

The Government decision to create an additional 300 Housing First tenancies is, at best, a modest expansion and is nowhere near sufficient when set against the fact that there are more than 2,000 homeless single people. The Government's decision to provide €70 million in funding over three years for the Housing Agency to purchase 1,600 vacant units is not good enough. According to census figures, there are more than 189,000 vacant units in the State, more than 40,000 of which are in Dublin. To allocate €70 million over three years to purchase only 1,600 of them is miserly and not nearly enough.

The most recent figures from the Residential Tenancies Board reveal that rents are increasing faster than inflation. It found that, across the State, rents increased by just under 10% in the second quarter of this year. The index also showed that significant increases were not confined to the Dublin region. In Dublin, rents are now 3.9% higher than they were at the previous high point in 2007.

The absence of rent certainty is causing major distress for households. The Taoiseach will recall that, last June, Sinn Féin tabled the Rent Certainty Bill, which would have saved working families up to €2,000 per year. To its shame, if it has any, Fianna Fáil backed its partners in government, namely, Fine Gael, to vote the Bill down. The Government is due to publish its housing (miscellaneous provisions) Bill in October. Will the Government reconsider its position and introduce into that legislation the rent certainty measures outlined by Sinn Féin and, sadly, voted down last June?

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