Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have served breakfast in one of the hostels in Dublin. That morning I spoke to the people who had stayed there the previous night about their experiences. Not everyone had a positive experience that night even though they were in a fantastic facility that is doing everything it can. I am aware of the additional supports that we need to put in place.

One of the first meetings I had when I came to this job was to discuss the need for more six-month beds. We are funding those now with our partner organisations and it is important to do that.

The Housing First model is key. The Deputy referred to people having to earn their position. We have to break that thinking and that is what Housing First does. It is not about earning a right to accommodation. It is about getting people into safe secure homes and then wrapping supports around them. Bob Jordan is leading on this with the national plan. The Deputy knows Mr. Jordan and the work he does. He will do a fantastic job. Of the 220 tenancies that have been created, between 80% and 90% have been successful. This means the vast majority have not fallen back into homelessness. They have not found themselves back in the cycle they may have been in for several years. Such is the importance of bringing in models from abroad. When we bring them in, we need to support them fully with financing, a national director and a national plan. That is happening now.

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