Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, is very welcome to the House to debate this sensible and straightforward Bill. I should have said "to discuss" because to say he is here to debate the Bill suggests there is a degree of disagreement in respect of its content and the principles that inform it. I am pleased that the senior Minister, with his Cabinet colleagues, have decided not to oppose the legislation before the House. That sends out an important message to those paying close attention to our words and our deeds this evening - those who may be in the teeth of the homelessness problem, at risk and worried about their futures and those of their families. All Members, including, I am sure, the Minister of State during his many years as a local authority representative and now as a Deputy and Minister of State, will have dealt with that phone call at 5 p.m. or 4.59 p.m. on a Friday evening from a constituent who finds himself or herself not just at risk of homelessness but at the door of the local authority, waiting for assistance in emergency circumstances from its homelessness service.

This is a short Bill but its impact if enacted can be far-reaching. It triggers an automatic extension to the notice period for those who are at risk of homelessness and, importantly, it brings people onto the radar of the local authority and gives the local authority and renters the space to obtain a solution to the very immediate and fundamental problem they face. Its beauty is in its simplicity. The Labour Party is delighted to support it and to have co-signed it. I commend the Simon Communities of Ireland for promoting the Bill. It is, as I stated, a sensible and straightforward Bill and it increases the level of protection for those who are at risk of homelessness, which is exactly what is needed. In my view, many of the protections that could be introduced do not necessarily need legislative interventions. They could be done by way of regulation or potentially by way of circular to local authorities, but it is important nonetheless to anchor some of these important measures in primary legislation.

I note that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in his earlier remarks referred to the fact that the lengthening of the notice period would be reviewed earlier than originally anticipated and that he is prepared to work with Opposition parties in good faith to ensure the kind of principles that underpin the Bill are reflected in the way in which local authorities operate and the way in which we, as a society, deal with the threat of homelessness which, as Members are aware, is all too real. I look forward to seeing what the Government will bring forward but we cannot wait for a long time. There needs to be a sense of urgency to adapt and subsequently adopt the kind of measures that are proposed in this Bill and make them real.

I note that the Minister has indicated it is Government policy that homelessness will be eradicated by 2030. That is an aspiration all Members wish to see delivered on. We would prefer to see homelessness eradicated much more quickly and that will depend on several factors, especially supply. The cost of living has risen enormously in the past 12 months. It is at its highest rate since 2008 and one of the major contributory factors forming and influencing the high cost of living and the rising rate of inflation is rental costs, which have risen by 8% this year. There has been a lot of talk in recent days about how we can work to support families who are at risk of entering fuel poverty and how they may be supported to pay their electricity bills. We need to be clear on what we need to do to prevent homelessness and ensure we keep people in the homes they have, given the supply problems we are encountering in society.

Even though it was rejected last week, I repeat the absolute urgency of reconsidering and introducing a rent freeze for the next three years to allow the kind of supply that the Minister of State and I and everybody else in this House has the ambition to develop so that we can ensure the provision of social and affordable homes and private homes, along with other measures that are required to resolve this most fundamental of social issues.

There are very few properties available anywhere in this country. I listen to Deputies all the time relaying the experiences in that regard in their constituencies. It is not just an urban problem at this point. It is a problem faced in every county, town and village in the country. The real figures in respect of homelessness are masked by the fact that they are not recorded in the way they could be recorded. All Members are aware of individuals whom we support and on whose behalf we work who are couch-surfing or staying with family members, often in very difficult circumstances, but are not recorded in the official figures.

In conclusion, the Labour Party is very proud to support this simple and straightforward but potentially very effective legislation. I would prefer if it was adopted unanimously this evening, moved to Committee Stage very quickly and then enacted at the earliest opportunity. There is an urgency about this, as the Minister of State will accept and understand, and it needs to be moved on very quickly indeed. Those who are at risk of homelessness cannot wait any longer for action from this House.

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