Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Deputy's comments. There is a network of routes through public representatives, councillors, Deputies and Senators, apart from schoolteachers and other people who have front-line engagement with families all the time. There should be awareness of all the initiatives. There are ambitious targets and an increased budget for 2018. However, it is like anything else: if there is an airlock in the system that stops the information flowing and people do not access the most efficient route to get their support, through the likes of Parkgate Street in Dublin's case, people encounter undue distress, delay and frustration. The Deputy's example of the schoolteacher is a case in point. That school principal has much work to do and, in fairness, it seems unreasonable to expect that to be part of her role. In any case, had she been tooled with the knowledge of where to go to, she probably could have short-circuited much of the family's and her frustration and anxiety.

We should state on the record that we all have housing and homelessness and dealing with it on the top of our agenda. No one has a monopoly over compassion or care; I think we all care. The best way we as public representatives can show our care is to work together. If there are problems with advocacy, navigation and awareness such as the Deputy has identified, we should take that on board. I will ensure that the Minister takes it on board and seeks to address it. In theory, it should be simple - to let people know where the services are available and how they work. There is a freefone number until 1 a.m., etc. Let us work on this, and if there are other blips in the system, let us iron them out and fix them in order that we can streamline this. We have much work to do. There are many resources being pumped into this but they need to be effective.

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