David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My colleague was diplomatic in responding to the Fianna Fáil contributions. I will not be as diplomatic because I believe some of them were rather cynical. It seems there was almost a competition among some of the colleagues to see who would come up with the best excuse not to support the Bill. An Teachta Ó Cuív won hands-down with his cynical remarks to the effect that there was some correlation between accommodation for Travellers and this Bill.

This is a practical Bill. No one on the side of those who proposed the Bill - I heard them speak earlier - presented it as a panacea for the housing crisis. Of course it is not. Everyone in the House has put forward practical proposals to Government. In fact, I said to the Minister the last time we spoke on housing in the Chamber that not a week goes by when we are not in the Chamber challenging the Minister and his Government on the housing crisis. Not a week or a month goes by when the housing crisis does not get worse. Yet, solutions are available for the Government. The problem is that the Government is simply not implementing them.

I have already had a discussion with the Minister about the all-party Oireachtas report, which was supported by all parties in the House. The Government is not even implementing the recommendations in that report. We would go further, but if the Government implemented the recommendations across a range of areas in that report, especially in respect of the number of new builds – the recommended number is 10,000 per year - it would solve many of the problems. This Bill deals with one problem and one problem only. Some businesspeople and some who own premises are using devices such as spikes and sprinklers to prevent people from sleeping homeless. The spikes are dangerous generally. I have seen them in many different parts of Dublin in particular. I do not understand how anyone could see them as anti-loitering devices. They are dangerous. They should be regulated and the Bill is perfectly reasonable in this regard. It simply proposes that before any businessperson or anyone else can erect sprinklers, bars or spikes, they should seek planning permission. That is all the Bill seeks to do. It is one practical proposal to deal with one element of how we support those who are homeless.

Those of us who support the Bill absolutely understand that more accommodation is necessary. We also need more supports and shelters for those who are homeless and all the other practical solutions which, unfortunately, the Government has not put in place.

See this speech in context