Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Under Rebuilding Ireland, last year over 27,000 households had their housing needs met. The local authority stock of social housing increased by over 8,000 and this year the figure will be over 10,000. Last year 5,135 individuals exited homelessness into independent tenancies, an increase of 8% on the figure for the previous year. That is a record level of exits out of homelessness in a calendar year. There are 27 family hubs in operation, with capacity for 650 families. I accept that it is not enough. To be honest, families should not be in hubs; they should be in social housing or another long-term, stable rental arrangement to give them a home. We are listening to others in this House and experts outside it. Rebuilding Ireland was always a policy initiative that would change. depending on where the pressures were and from where the demands were coming. That is happening. The number of people who are being taken out of homelessness is higher than ever before.

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