Dáil debates

Wednesday, 12 July 2017

12:40 pm

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are 90,000 people on the housing waiting list. There are also the silent homeless living in overcrowded accommodation. There are also those who are in emergency accommodation. The reality is that the issue is not being addressed. We have not even reached the peak of this housing crisis and we are not addressing what we should be doing over the next five to ten years. The fact is that we are not short of solutions. The report outlines many, -as Neary and others have done - in terms of the State stepping up and delivering and leading the supply of social and affordable housing, something it has resolutely failed to do up to now. Instead, it is waiting and encouraging the private market which this report shows will not deliver social or affordable housing. We need to increase our capital expenditure funding to at least €1 billion a year in order to deliver funding to local authorities and housing bodies to enable them to build a minimum of 5,000 units a year. It has been said to the Taoiseach here today that these hubs can possibly become the direct provision centres of the future. He has heard it and he has had to respond to it. He has to deal with this emergency and meet with this group, Rory Hearne and the housing committee to go through this report. It is really crucial that we deal with these issues now and not let this continue.

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