Dáil debates

Tuesday, 15 December 2020

Homeless Prevention Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

6:15 pm

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Ó Broin on this excellent legislation. I also commend the Minister on accepting the legislation and moving it forward. All of us in this House need to work in the interests of the many people who come to our constituency offices throughout the country and who are experiencing the absolute terror of falling into homelessness.

I recently came across a young woman with three children. She is renting a house at the moment and got a notice to quit. She is earning about €28,000 per annum putting her slightly above what will get her on the local authority housing list and slightly above what would qualify her for HAP. She is renting in a rural area and paying €650 a month. She does not have a hope of getting a house for her family at that rate anywhere in the area in which she lives and where her children go to school. She is in a real crisis. She cannot go to the local authority as she would just be told she does not qualify.

We need to accept that thousands of people fall into this trap and get no service when they go to the local authority seeking a service. The reality for most people is that they are able to manage and get by. Family members and others come around to help them and they depend on that. However, at the end of the day, we need to be able to provide everybody in our society with a long-term home which is secure. The Bill is about recognising that reality. It is not on the day of the crisis that we need to address the issue; it needs to be addressed in advance. We need to work with people to ensure they do not fall into homelessness. We need to provide for them in a caring and compassionate way in the very beginning when they face the possibility of falling into homelessness.

While we have local authority accommodation, HAP accommodation and the private rented sector, at the end of the day we do not have enough homes in appropriate areas in the country to provide houses for people at an affordable rate for rent or purchase. That is an absolute necessity. We need to provide an adequate level of housing for everyone in the State and we need to work together to do that.

This is a first step and I welcome that the Minister will work with us to make the Bill a reality, to ensure that every local authority in the State has an obligation to work with people 60 days before they enter homelessness to ensure they do not fall into homelessness. We need to ensure that happens immediately.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.