Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I acknowledge the work done to date. I realise the amount of preparatory work that is required before the houses are delivered. However, the housing shortage in County Kildare is reaching a position we have not experienced previously. Numerous families are apparently becoming homeless at the same time. On a daily basis, three, four, five or six families report to the local authority begging for accommodation. The local authority is not in a position to build houses overnight.

Using Kildare as an example, perhaps the Minister might make contact with each of the local authorities with a view to identifying how, using modular houses or by whatever means, they can expand the number of houses available in the short term. The problem is with the short term; in two years, we will not have the same problem because building will have caught up with it. However, at the moment we have a serious situation that I have not experienced in my lifetime heretofore. We have all spoken about this issue in this House with the Minister and his predecessor. I am appealing to the Minister to contact the local authorities with a view to identifying how quickly and how many they can deliver.

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