Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also want to focus on housing. There have been regular discussions in this House on the issue of social housing and the housing crisis. From intolerable rent increases to enormous social housing waiting lists to growing homelessness, the situation has been grave for some time now. The Tánaiste is correct in that there have been discussions across parties to develop plans to address these issues, and there are other proposals from all of us on the Opposition benches that could and should be taken on. However, the events of Tuesday night surely must shock us all. There is no amount of discussion on housing policy that could inure us to the real impact of families in this country being required to sleep either in Garda stations or in public parks.

Mr. Mike Allen of Focus Ireland has referred to Tuesday night as unprecedented and shocking. He is correct. Some 12 families could not find emergency accommodation in this city. Some 30 children could not be accommodated. Families were sent to Garda stations for their safety. Seven families spent the night in police stations as it was the only way they could find safety for their children. Unsurprisingly, some of the families were concerned about the potential implications of doing so, and so three families slept in Fairview Park and another family slept in Merrion Square. I say slept, but obviously there was no sleep for those families. Everybody in this House would agree unconditionally that that is unacceptable.

A spokesman for the Dublin Region Homeless Executive was quoted in The Irish Timessaying that Dublin City Council provides an emergency supply of contingency capacity for families. Clearly that contingency capacity is insufficient. In the meantime, 200,000 homes lie empty. There is plenty of space to accommodate not only the 12 families we spoke about but all those who need accommodation. While the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, is focused on the Fine Gael leadership debate, this House is still waiting for the vacant homes strategy. We do not know if the Government will consider a vacant home levy to bring 200,000 unused houses back into use. We do not know if the Government will consider the use of compulsory purchase orders for homes that have been vacant for a period of years. We do not even know when the audit of vacant homes will be completed. We do not know if the Government intends to increase the funds to acquire vacant properties. What we do know, shockingly, is that we have families who have spent the night in parks, and that cannot continue. The crisis of family homelessness cannot be allowed to sit side by side with that scale of empty homes. When will we see the vacant homes strategy and what particular assurances will the Tánaiste give us now to ensure we will never again see a repeat of Tuesday night?

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