Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We provide emergency accommodation and we will provide an increased number of emergency beds in the months ahead to allow for potentially cold weather.

We are not saying that it is acceptable. I want to be absolutely clear on this. Speaking about international comparisons does not in any way try to excuse or normalise homelessness. That is not what this is about. We have put in the resources to fix it. The Deputy, the committee and many others wanted the Government to commit to 10,000 social houses a year. This is exactly what we are doing. The money is being ring-fenced to deliver 50,000 social housing units over the next couple of years. In addition, we also provide many temporary solutions through the HAP scheme and RAS. Per working day, approximately 85 people are given housing solutions. Next year, the figure will be approximately 100. In the year gone by, more than 3,000 people left an emergency homeless situation and went into a house. We are making some progress. We say every week that we know it is not enough and we have to do more. We have put more money into it and we are trying many new measures, including direct build, leasing, acquiring vacant properties and bringing empty properties back into use. We will do all we can to intervene in the market to increase the supply of housing. Please do not keep telling me that we do not care or that we are not trying. Next year, €2 billion, which is a lot of money, will be spent on this. We are making inroads.

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