Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

He has not. There are measures relating to the affordable housing scheme, social housing, cost rental, homelessness initiatives and Part V initiatives. There is a comprehensive suite of measures that involve unprecedented State resources to deal with the housing issue.

On Nadim Hussain, I ask that he cease the hunger strike. I do not think he needs to continue with it. I understand the issues. His application has not been successful; however, there are other measures open to the Department, the Minister and officials, such as leave to remain, for example. These issues are being pursued, I understand, and can be decided upon. Hunger strike can cause irreparable damage, so I sincerely ask him to come off the hunger strike.

I am aware of the case and what happened his parents. He has gone through a very traumatic time. I have not read the entirety of the case background, but I take the fact that someone is on hunger strike very seriously. We should make every effort we can to try to help the person in the situation in which he finds himself.

In terms of the report on the work permit system on the fishing industry Deputy Barry referenced, first, there can be no place for exploitation of workers in any industry and there can certainly be no place for exploitation of workers in the fishing industry. I have said repeatedly and consistently to Members in this House that it is extremely important that workers in the fishing industry are protected and well looked after. We have had too many incidents in recent years where cases have arisen in which the rights of workers were clearly not upheld or basic documentation could not be provided or secured in respect of some workers on fishing boats. Where accidents happened or rescues took place, some workers were discovered not to have any documentation at all. That potentially lends itself to significant abuse of such workers.

In terms of work permits being tied to a boat, work permits, generally speaking, have been applied for by employers. We take on board the conclusions of the report and we will engage with the Department, the fishing industry and the Minister involved. The fishing industry is going through a traumatic period at the moment and this is something we cannot afford to allow happen within the sector. It needs to be stamped out.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the issue of safeguarding. He raises a very substantive issue as to whether we should pass legislation to ask the Garda to pass on information it has. That opens up a whole new area. We need a regulatory framework to govern any organisation that is established in an area such as homelessness. We do it for a whole range of other activities. We should use the tried and trusted organisations that are involved in homelessness that have an established relationship with local authorities and the Government. The days are gone when a body can declare itself to be a homeless charity. There is too much of that going on. Some well meaning people do it, but it creates difficulties and challenges. Organisations such as the Simon Communities of Ireland, Focus Ireland and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that have long experience of homelessness and that have built up a lot of expertise have done a lot of research and they work collaboratively internationally. We need that informal opinion to inform policy on housing. A variety of other organisations that I have not mentioned do likewise.

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