Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

These are the figures in front of me in black and white, as delivered by the Department. Last year, there were 560 voids. The figure for 2015, with which the Minister of State is making comparisons to show how much progress has been made, was 2,829. If those figures were added in, we would not see the kind of figures that were being boasted about by the Minister today. We can quickly bring these homes back into use and I urge the Minister of State to do so.

I support Housing First. It needs to be developed, and I fully support whatever action is taken in that regard. It does not just apply to Dublin either. Housing First can be a solution for many people who have been in long-term homelessness throughout the country, particularly in our cities. It needs to be resourced and developed.

I realise my time is almost up. There is always so much more we can say on this issue, but it is not really about talking. It is about delivering. We need to see this serious situation addressed, and not just through these slight incremental changes from one year to the next. We will not deal with it if that does not happen.

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