Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Chairman will show leniency, given the seriousness of the subject.

While I believe the Tánaiste is genuine and interested, I do not think he realises that it is his Government's policy that is causing the problem. The Government is an integral part of the problem, not the solution. Homelessness in Galway is out of control. These are not my words. I have referred to the comments by the assistant CEO of COPE. He said that the official figures grossly underestimate the numbers of homeless. On Monday of this week, 13 people presented as homeless to one COPE centre in the city. If the Government keeps going down the road of reliance on the market and keeps talking about social housing in the context of HAP, it is not going to learn and it is not going to sort out the problem. We do not want hubs. Obviously emergency accommodation is necessary, but what we want is a long-term solution.

What land does Galway city own? Can the Minister tell me that? What is the difficulty with building on that public land? There are 14 acres at Ceannt Station, eight of which have gone to a private developer without a master plan. There is land at the docks and on Dyke Road, not to mention institutional lands. Where is the overall plan and commitment to build public housing on public land to stop this scandal? We are talking about homes.

Airbnb is a huge part of the problem. The Government has refused to regulate it. We are losing streets and houses to Airbnb in Galway.

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