Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not know what "temporary" means in this day and age, given we were told quite a number of years ago that the homeless crisis in this city was temporary. That seems to suggest that this is not as temporary as suggested and that it is not for six months or a year. Given the level of work that I have seen happening in that hall, this is no temporary measure for six months, nine months or a year or two.

The Minister of State said the Department had no role in selecting the hall but the Department did agree with it and allowed it to go ahead. It is the Department which is overseeing the implementation of section 179 of the Planning and Development Act. It begs the question: where next with that Act? Can the Department start taking over people's homes if they are set aside for a while? Can it totally ride roughshod over community concerns? This is not the way to do business, especially with a community that has been quite open and helpful in trying to ensure that those who are less well off than them are looked after. However, they also look at nearby constituencies and nearby areas of Dublin and County Dublin in which absolutely no services have been put in place. Once again, their community is told to bear the brunt of the homelessness crisis.

Only 100 yd. away from the hall or perhaps even less than that, there is a hotel which is used by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, the Viking Lodge. There was a fire in it only last week. That is the scale of the amount of services that the community has hosted and has been willing to host. That is not the problem. The problem is that this building and its location are not suitable. There are also concerns that it will affect the likes of the crèche, which now has to find alternative play space for its children because it will not be able to share with 65 homeless people who will be using this centre. This is not ideal. It is not the way to do business. Even at this late stage, I hope the Minister of State goes back and allows the Department, the city council or whatever to liaise properly with the community upon which this has been foisted, because that community has had no say or consultation in any shape or form.

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