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

The work of the inter-agency group that I set up in September 2017 was meant to be the vehicle to tie all of the different Departments together, but bureaucratic walls unfortunately maintained regardless of that. They came down very quickly in the crisis and that is why the work has been so successful. It is a model that must continue into the future. I know the Deputy is planning on visiting the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. I welcome that and the Deputy will have a good engagement there. The big message coming back from the NGOs on not returning to dormitory-style accommodation is that the outcomes for people in these new types of accommodation are so much better. It is more stable, people are coming into programmes and they are happier and healthier. It is the way forward so a piece of work is being done around that at the moment and in relation to cost. We still have additional accommodation if we need it in case there is a surge or a second wave in society more generally or in case we find a cluster in one of our areas of accommodation so that we can then reaccommodate people. That will be possible.

On the funding, I am informed that €20 million of additional crisis funding was made available to do all of the things we have had to do.

On money to be borrowed, an agreement was reached between the Housing Finance Agency and the European Investment Bank for an additional €200 million in December. There was meant to be a signing agreement but it clashed with the general election so that did not happen, but that money is secure and in place, so there is plenty of funding available from Europe and from other sources to put into housing. One of the challenges we will face, however, as we open up new sites, is social distancing on sites and how that might affect the capacity that can be delivered in the next six months.

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