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

While I support the motion, it is extremely frustrating to take part in an endless discussion on the housing and homeless crisis. Given the Government's stance on the issue, it is clear the debate will go nowhere. As I stated last week, the Government is implementing the same policy and sending out a message that it will deliver different results and address the crisis.

What is needed is agreement on what the solutions to the crisis are, both in the short and long term, followed by action to implement them. By this, I mean an agreement among those of us who are not in hock to developers and vulture funds and do not have an ideological stance that precludes intervention in the market or private sector. There is broad agreement that an emergency must be declared. The Government has never declared an emergency, although it has used terms such as "crisis" to describe the problem. I want it to declare a housing emergency tonight and address the issue.

There is broad agreement that immediate action must be taken to curb evictions, while a massive programme of public and social housing construction is essential in the long term. On the issue of evictions, I welcome the agreement reached between the Irish Mortgage Holders Association and Allied Irish Banks, EBS and Haven Mortgages, under which a new not-for-profit company, iCare, will be established to operate a mortgage-to-rent scheme. I hope the new entity will overcome the problems the mortgage-to-rent sector has experienced thus far. In particular, I hope it will be in a better position to negotiate house prices and write-downs. This scheme will not provide a solution for all of the more than 50,000 people who are in arrears but it will offer a practical solution for many families.

The Keeping People in their Homes Bill 2017, which passed Second Stage, should be processed through the House as emergency legislation. Proposed by Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, the Bill would oblige judges in repossession cases to take into account the impact of losing the family home on children, older people and persons with disabilities, the probability or otherwise of finding alternative housing and other factors. This would be a step forward that would assist many families fighting to keep a roof over their heads.

Emergency legislation is also required to stop vacant repossession being used in the private rental sector. Legislation should also be introduced to stop evictions on the basis of rent increases. Stopping evictions is the key to stopping the rise in homelessness. In the medium to longer-term, we need agreement on what is the best way to fund, implement and manage a programme of public and social housing. I favour the proposal made by the Nevin Economic Research Institute, NERI, to establish a national housing company which would build and rent public housing on the European cost recovery rental model. The new company would cater for a wide range of housing needs, from single people to those who are working and young people. Such a company, with the assistance of local authorities and State companies, could use existing zoned land, borrow off the books and quickly commence a programme to build 10,000 public housing units per annum.

The word "NAMA" should not be used in the same sentence as the phrase "public and social housing". The National Asset Management Agency was established to bail out banks and developers. Its role in Project Eagle and selling off the best zoned land to vulture funds demonstrated a mindset completely unsuited to the task of providing public and social housing. The agency should be disbanded and its assets transferred to a national housing company.

Some may argue that the provision of public and social housing should be left to local authorities. While this approach is correct in theory, in practice how many local authorities have become involved in building, managing and maintaining public and social housing in recent years? Too many officials at management level in local authorities are opposed to public housing, just as they are opposed to providing refuse services. I have no doubt they would gladly divest local government of its role in water services. The only solution is for the Minister to instruct councils to produce plans to provide housing. The key issue is whether money will be provided to do this.

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