Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, for introducing this Bill, which is both timely and necessary and must be welcomed by all civic-minded citizens. The basis of this Bill is to empower the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local authorities to provide persons at risk of homelessness with necessary supports to prevent them from becoming homeless. In County Wexford, the council employees who deal with the homeless are under severe pressure, with 547 presentations so far this year. An added pressure is that there is no female supported accommodation in my county, while the women's refuge and the men's equivalent, Ozanam House, are full to capacity most times of the year. To fully address and find solutions to homelessness, we must have the true empirical data so we know exactly what resources are needed and where to deploy them. The National Homelessness Consultative Committee and its data subgroup must be reconvened.

We are considered a wealthy country, yet 8,737 of our fellow citizens are in emergency accommodation, as well as 599 in funded domestic violence accommodation, 1,020 asylum seekers, 92 rough sleepers, and 104 in hostels without Government funding. That is 10,552 in total. This is a sad reflection on the State's duty of care and the premise of cherishing all the children of the nation equally.

This Bill, with the support of the Government and the Opposition, will give a legal definition of a person at risk of homelessness and such people will be provided with services and supports to prevent them from becoming homeless. I have no doubt that it will save lives in the long run. This Bill is for the common good. It tackles the problems and failings of the current system and will assist both the Minister and local authorities to improve and adapt a better policy and do what is the sworn duty of any republic, that is, to look after the most vulnerable of our citizens. I ask the House to fully support the Bill put forward by my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin.

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