Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I would like to respond to a couple of points made in the Minister's reply. I thank the Deputies who have expressed support for this amendment. While I take the Minister 100% at face value when he says that homelessness is a priority for him, I think the figures he mentioned when he spoke about those who have exited from homelessness are not worth much. The only reason more people have been exiting homelessness is that there have been more people entering homelessness. The wheel is getting bigger and bigger and spinning faster and faster. The Minister's statistics do not speak to a solution or a sense that we are getting to grips with the problems of homelessness.

This point is related to the Minister's suggestion that the Apollo House proposal is not the way to deal with this. Those involved in the proposal respectfully believe the State and the Government have failed to made appropriate provision in this regard. Some people who have been at the coalface of trying to assist people in housing crisis situations for a long time, such as those involved in the Inner City Helping Homeless campaign and the Irish Housing Network, have decided to take action because they do not feel the Government's solutions are working. I salute them for demonstrating that resources exist in NAMA buildings that are not being used but could be used. I do not believe they are doing this in an amateurish or ham-fisted way. Their plan involves putting in place sustainable places for 30 people. I think they will be able to deliver that. The Minister has said that it would be better to do this in another way, but the people to whom I refer equally believe their efforts constitute the best thing to do. I ask him to assist them, or at least not to get in their way, with regard to electricity and plumbing.

I would like to make a final point on this amendment. I accept that much of the information we are looking for already exists. It is a question of compiling a report on this issue. It is vital that we come up with an assessment of why there are delays in supplying housing. That is central to all the things we are debating. Our request to be provided with a report in three months' time does not preclude us from getting other information. It is eminently sensible.

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