Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are discussing a very grim topic, and by bringing it into the House we are almost normalising it and saying it is something that is a common occurrence. Of course, it is all too common these days. Homelessness is a national scandal that blights our streets and communities. Having a safe and secure home and a roof over one's head should be the cornerstone of a decent life, but many people are deprived of this. Children are bearing the brunt of the failure of many Government policies. Almost 4,000 children are now experiencing homelessness, and this is absolutely appalling. We need to do far better in the House and in the communities we serve. We need to embrace a housing first approach and ramp up the direct build of social housing. A legislative right to housing should be put in place to clarify people's entitlements and prioritise tackling delays. The Government has to stop blaming local authorities and slash red tape to get to grips with the crisis that confronts us.

In the House we speak a lot about housing and homelessness. On the Government side there is an awful lot of superficial activity. There is a lot of talk and commentary, and there are a lot of announcements, ribbons being cut and yellow hats, but there is an extremely lack of tangible action such as the creation of supply, which absolutely means building.

I have to hand a litany of commitments and supports promised by successive Ministers. I also have a litany of Government failings in respect of developing social housing. This is where the real problem lies.

The Land Development Agency, LDA, has been talked about since the Rebuilding Ireland launch in July 2016. It still has not come to fruition and the legislation is still subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. There are serious questions over whether the LDA will be on or off the balance sheet. It would have a direct impact on its ability to invest in land.

On red tape, Ministers are always talking about local authorities and what they should be delivering. From dealing with Kildare County Council on an ongoing basis, I can state honestly that the hurdles set up for local authorities are in many cases insurmountable. There is red tape and there is a lack of departmental guidance. There should be a far more effective and streamlined process.

On spending thresholds, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government continue to control spending, yet they are blaming local authorities for not building. They have refused to raise discretionary spending from €2 million to €6 million. That should be done. In budget 2019, it was agreed to raise the discretionary threshold for local authorities, reducing the four-step approval process for developments to a single stage. This would reduce the current 59-week pre-construction stage by some two months but this has been resisted absolutely by the Government. The biggest crime of all is over-reliance on the private sector. Fine Gael has overseen a shift away from building homes towards pouring money into the private sector. The amount spent on rent supplement and HAP payments, as opposed to bricks and mortar, is appalling.

I would like to consider the impact of homelessness on children in education. As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and Skills, I can attest that the committee devoted a lot of time and effort to this. There are 105 adults in Kildare who are homeless today and 145 children. That is 250 homeless in emergency accommodation in my county. A recent survey by the Irish Primary Principals' Network found there are children experiencing homelessness in 27% of primary schools. The impact is very negative in terms of school attendance, adequacy of diet, and motivating and supporting children. A report issued yesterday by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland states research has proven that 38% of homeless children have significant mental health, developmental or behavioural disorders. That is absolutely frightening. There is no Government policy to cater for the educational needs of children living in emergency accommodation. These children are not mentioned in either the action plan for education or the statement of strategy of the Department of Education and Skills for the period 2019 to 2021.

Many children experiencing homelessness do not attend DEIS schools so do not have access to the supports that students in DEIS schools are provided with. This is a great anomaly and it needs to be addressed by the Minister of State, Deputy English, and the Minister for Education and Skills.

The future of our society depends on our ability to foster the healthy development of the next generation. We are failing the next generation of homeless really badly. Toxic stress has been described by academics in many universities examining the impact of stress on children. There can be no greater stress than when a child and his or her family have been made homeless.

We are all shocked when we hear the homelessness figures that emerge. New figures are due next week and I do not expect them to show an improvement. Many of those affected are in the greater Dublin area. Interestingly, however, we heard that the percentage increase is actually higher outside Dublin. Homelessness has increased by 11.5% outside Dublin. The significantly negative experiences of the children are shocking. When a child loses his or her home, he or she loses a sense of place and, in many cases, a sense of identity. It is absolutely awful because he or she also loses his or her primary source of support.

Families lose their houses for many reasons. If they are renting privately, they may have been evicted. This is happening all too often because of the great increases in rents. Family homes can be lost in circumstances involving domestic violence or family break-up. The reason does not really matter because people in homelessness suffer on many levels. We must determine how we can best help them and their children.

Last year, I met a number of families with children who were sitting State examinations. I recall a girl who was sitting her leaving certificate examinations. Her parents were heartbroken and felt they were failing her. Parents suffer when they are unable to give their children security, routine, predictability and the ability to form and develop friendships. In such circumstances, a school often has to take over to offer support. The affected individuals should be given supports because sometimes school is the only safe place where a child can enjoy a routine that he or she may have been used to.

Being homeless affects every aspect of a child's education, including behaviour, attendance, educational attainment and social response. The lack of cooking facilities in emergency homeless accommodation can mean children do not get proper breakfasts and that they are unable to bring proper lunches to school. Schools have not received any communication or correspondence to support them in dealing with such circumstances. No more than parents, teachers in schools are doing their best to support the children. A cross-departmental approach, involving extra funding for non-DEIS schools and home-school liaison, is needed. Society continues to fail these children at many levels. Teachers, schools and parents want to do the right thing. It is up to us in the Oireachtas, including the Minister, to provide the children with the supports they need.

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