Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The strategic priorities document is littered with pious aspirations and noble objectives, particularly in the area of housing and social inclusion. They are belied by the actual policies implemented in these areas. I will quote the better society section of the Taoiseach's document: "We will seek to ensure that the position of vulnerable groups in society is taken into account." It continues: "There will be a focus on providing a safe and supportive environment for children, families and older people, including through reforms in the areas of housing." Let us test those noble aspirations against the human reality.

I am dealing with the case of a young mother called Sinéad at the moment, who has a four year old child. There is a history of abuse in the background of the family. They are very vulnerable, and Sinéad is terrified for her four year old daughter. She is homeless. She has been told, as part of a new policy, that she cannot stay in hotel accommodation in Dún Laoghaire near a supportive family network, but must instead go into a hostel 11 km away, in Francis Street, over a pub. How is she supposed to get her child to school? This is a policy that has been set down by the Minister because he has to meet a target of getting everybody out of hotel accommodation.

Therefore she cannot stay in a hotel in Dún Laoghaire near her family, but it is okay to put her in a hostel over a pub in Francis Street, 11 km away.

A year ago, Amanda got a HAP scheme housing placement, which was the Government's big solution. One year later the landlord pulls out of the HAP scheme. In my naivety, I thought that under the HAP scheme, the council had an obligation to find her something else. That is not so, however. Amanda has been told to take her three young children under the age of three into a hostel in Dublin city centre, 11 km or 12 km away from where they go to school. Is that the supportive environment for families, including children, that was promised in the document?

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