Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Everyone, including housing authorities, is working very hard to ensure the progression of homeless families to independent tenancies as quickly as possible. Every action that is being taken is targeted at ensuring people will not have to stay in that type of accommodation over a longer period. We have to recognise the numbers that have moved into secure accommodation from homeless accommodation in the course of the past year and the turnover that has been there, although homelessness continues to be a challenging issue and is a priority for the Government to tackle.

Many of the recommendations made by the chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Ms Emily Logan, are already in train or complete. The Rebuilding Ireland action plan provides for early solutions to address the high number of households in emergency accommodation, including, as I have said, the delivery of social housing supply through the new build, acquisition and refurbishment schemes and independent tenancies for homeless households in the private rental sector through housing supports such as the enhanced housing assistance payment. All that is under way and will ensure families will not spend lengthy periods in these new style family hubs.

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