Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's final point is an important one which I will take up.

On the overall impact of the plan for rebuilding Ireland, I am aware that the number of children who are homeless is increasing. I am also aware of the efforts being made by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to address this issue. He set a very ambitious objective at yesterday's committee meeting regarding reviewing the progress made on the housing plan. There are two key elements involved in meeting the targets that have been set out. The first will be the success of the rapid build programme. Some 1,500 rapid build housing units are to be delivered by 2018. Approximately 350 such units are advancing or will be on site by the end of 2016 and a further 650 units will be initiated and delivered in 2017. This as something to do with the increase.

Another aspect of trying to reduce the increase in homelessness will be the reform of the housing assistance payment, HAP, scheme. A HAP homeless pilot has been operational since February 2015. Reforming the HAP to ensure it is more effective will result in the creation of approximately 550 tenancies by the time it is completed.

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