Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The debate has been very interesting. It also has been interesting to listen to the Minister's responses and those of his Department to the crisis as it has been unfolding. In his initial comments he spoke about how the bodies enabled him to prepare for and deal with the crisis very early. He said that it was through their foresight that he was able to foresee what was happening and was able to deal with it. There could be lessons for other Departments in that regard. Right through the crisis, very often it has been the case that the voluntary agencies and bodies working on the ground dealing with these issues are far better able to deal with them than Departments. That is a failing of the Government rather than full praise for voluntary agencies. I do not say we should move over fully to voluntary agencies but the Government could learn from them.

The Minister said he must wait and see how the situation evolves in terms of how he will continue and what will happen in the future. What will the Minister seek to continue after this crisis is over? It would be important to know that. I was struck by what I consider to be a sea change in how the Department has looked at these issues. The Department in the crisis is far better than the one we had before it and I would like to see it continue.

Could the Minister indicate how many homeless people are staying in hotels at the moment and the impact of that? A quick and easy solution would be if he were to stop the use of Airbnb accommodation, as that would ensure accommodation is available for people who need it. I would welcome a comment in that regard. In the future, what could prevent the Minister taking such a step to deal with the crisis?

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