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

It will be the responsibility of the various local authorities to work for those people where accommodation becomes a problem and if it is a problem over the Christmas period. As the Deputy knows, every effort is made by local authorities to ensure housing, whether it is in hotels or elsewhere, is permanent. Where there is a change in that, every effort is made to work with a person to find alternative accommodation. The overall goal of this Government is clearly that people would not be in hotels in the first instance. The strategy that has been outlined by the Minister is to ensure we will cease to use hotels for people who become homeless. It is worth pointing out the number of families this year alone that have exited homelessness, left hotels and got permanent accommodation.

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