Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Caithfidh mé a rá i dtús báire nach bhfuil aon fhianaise ann go bhfuil an Rialtas báúil le NESC. Ní dóigh liom go dtuigeann an Rialtas cé chomh éifeachtach is atá NESC maidir le polasaithe sóisialta. Tá cumas ag NESC dea-chomhairle a thabhairt don Rialtas. Níl an Rialtas ag cur aon bhéim ar an gcomhairle seo.

The delay in appointing independent members of NESC seems to suggest the Government has not been eager for the council to be as active as it can be. That is a great shame, given how important NESC has been in the past in producing common-sense yet detailed reports. Yesterday, the council began a joint lecture series on homelessness with Focus Ireland. This is operating at a high level of independent academic expertise on the dynamics of homelessness. The Taoiseach will agree that the failure of the Government to even understand homelessness figures demonstrates a serious problem. It is now six months since the Taoiseach told his own party, "we have a plan, the plan is working". For the past two months, however, record numbers of people caught up in homelessness show the plan is not working. Will he accept that the statement from the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, that he does not know why the figures are so high and has asked for a report does not suggest he is on top of it?

Before the Taoiseach starts quoting rough sleeper numbers again at us, those numbers are down purely because of the exceptional efforts of voluntary organisations during the extreme weather. When will the Taoiseach be able to explain why announcements in January that everything was fine have been followed with record increases in homelessness?

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