Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ireland's rate of child homelessness, which has risen by 287% in three years, is unmatched anywhere in Europe, according to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Indeed, it was widely quoted that the figure of 3,124 homeless children in Ireland announced yesterday is set to continue to rise in the coming months by 20 children per month.

In Louth, 60 people presented as homeless in September 2017 with 35 in Dundalk, 22 in Drogheda and three in Ardee. My local authority is certainly to the fore in trying to tackle this problem. This month 35 were offered help including fast-tracking for renting. Homelessness and child homelessness will continue unless we offer a solution through improving housing supply. A tiny 5% of all housing allocations across the country go towards homelessness. To date this year, Louth County Council has housed 36 family units but in order to keep pace with those presenting we need initiatives in addition to housing supply.

While I am an ardent advocate of all landlords partaking in the HAP scheme, the reality is that many landlords in the private rental sector are not co-operating with it. Once again success has been achieved in Louth. In this year alone an additional 48 families were placed in emergency accommodation through encouraging those reluctant HAP landlords and through more contact with letting agents. My point is a proactive approach is needed by the homeless officers in the housing departments with letting agents. When it is known that a family will have to vacate that property for the purpose of a sale, the local authority should be given the opportunity to discuss the purchase of such units.

I have much more that I would like to say, but I will conclude. Approved housing bodies employ approximately 6,500 staff. If these were distributed among the local authorities, we could get back to building houses.

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