Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I again thank Sinn Féin, the other co-sponsors of the Bill, the Simon Communities of Ireland and Deputy Ó Broin for bringing forward this Bill. It is great to have cross-party unity on this matter. I will quickly raise a number of issues that Members have brought up in their contributions.

With regard to private emergency accommodation, new standards are currently being rolled out in each facility. This will be completed early in the new year. The standards are based on the national quality standards framework. I mention this in connection with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan's comments. In terms of health, Housing for All provides that every homeless person is to have an individual healthcare plan. Funding was allocated in the budget to provide for these additional services. To respond to Deputy Tóibín's contribution, apart from his bizarre comments with which he wasted his speaking time having a go at the Green Party, a review of the fiscal treatment of landlords is to be carried out by the third quarter of 2022. This is a commitment under Housing for All.

As the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has already outlined, this Government's commitment to preventing homelessness is strong and will continue to be unwavering. Policies are in place, backed by the necessary funding, to help people remain in their homes. We are preventing, and will continue to prevent, homelessness from occurring in the first instance. We all agree that preventing homelessness is a priority for Government to address. The Government will therefore not be opposing the Bill this evening. No party or Deputy has a monopoly on wisdom when it comes to addressing our toughest challenges. My Government colleagues and I welcome all proposals as to how we can improve our response in dealing with the particular needs of those facing the prospect of homelessness. That is why I welcome this Bill this evening.

In enacting legislation, we have to make sure that law is fit for purpose and will deliver the desired outcomes. The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2021 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Any proposed measures that would impact on private property rights require detailed consideration and scrutiny having regard to the provisions of Article 43 of the Constitution and the associated legal complexities. In the context of recent and future changes to the Residential Tenancies Acts, it was and remains important for any rental reform to be justifiable and necessary as a matter of priority to avoid the risk of weakening the stability of, and confidence in, the rental sector. The Government relies on the private rental sector to provide much-needed housing generally as well as housing through which social housing needs can be met. Any actions that directly or inadvertently undermine the economic viability of rental accommodation provision could negatively impact on both existing and future supply of rental accommodation or on the wider economy and damage future capacity and attractiveness for both landlords and tenants.

As the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, outlined, he is required to commence a review of the operation periods of termination notices to be given to tenants before 4 June 2022. It is my understanding that he has committed to bringing this forward to earlier in 2022. In this context, the Simon Communities of Ireland's proposal will be carefully considered.

I want to talk further about the actions the Government is undertaking to prevent homelessness. Next year's housing budget of €4 billion will see the largest amount spent on housing in the history of the State. The available funding will deliver social and affordable homes. A major focus in this regard will be on investment in the delivery of new-build units, with an overall target for new homes. Housing for All commits to the delivery of more than 9,500 new-build social homes on average over the next five years. More than 90,000 new social homes will be delivered in the period from 2022 to 2030. Approximately 18,000 cost-rental homes will be delivered by local authorities, approved housing bodies and the Land Development Agency between now and 2030. Housing for All provides funding and commits to delivering 36,000 affordable homes for purchase, an average of 4,000 per annum.

Overall, it is estimated that Ireland will need 33,000 new homes to be provided each year from 2021 to 2030. Housing for All plans to deliver these homes. These are ambitious targets and a testament to the ongoing work in the Department, local authorities, approved housing bodies and the private sector. Work is also under way with a housing delivery co-ordination office and the local authorities on the implementation of measures to deliver housing solutions for households on the social housing waiting list.

While it is undoubtedly the most crucial part of the jigsaw, the provision of housing will not, on its own, be sufficient to help all individuals exit homelessness or be prevented from entering it in the first place. For this reason, other programmes to address homelessness are predicated on the understanding that many households experiencing homelessness have additional support needs. Specific measures are required to address those needs. These include measures to help rough sleepers into sustainable accommodation, the continued expansion of Housing First with a focus on the construction and acquisition of one-bed homes and, importantly, ensuring that there are dedicated resources and funding to deliver the necessary health supports, including mental health supports, required to assist homeless people with complex needs. Housing First currently supports more than 600 former rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation with significant health, mental health and addiction issues to remain in their own homes. In line with the commitment in Housing for All, we are planning to expand the targets set out under the national implementation plan for the period from 2018 to 2021.

Housing for All commits to working to eradicate homelessness by 2030. It sets out a number of commitments that will build upon the comprehensive prevention mechanisms that are already in place and delivering results. If these prevention mechanisms need to be improved, we are open to considering new ideas. That is why we want to see this proposed legislation scrutinised further. Many of those with experience of homelessness say that agencies should be working together better. It is a cause of frustration when different agencies and services do not work together towards common goals. Eradicating homelessness by 2030 is an ambitious goal that will require the co-ordinated actions of a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders. A holistic approach with enhanced levels of cohesion is required. This is why the Minister is establishing a national homeless action committee. This committee will be cross-governmental and inter-agency in composition and will have the involvement of key stakeholders. It will ensure better coherence and co-ordination among homelessness-related services in delivering policy measures and actions. The Minister has identified all nominees that will be part of his group.

In conclusion, I thank the House again for providing an opportunity to discuss this legislation. It has given us a chance to talk about preventative measures to tackle homelessness as well as the actions needed to increase housing supply, the delivery of social housing supply and initiatives to address homelessness.

The number of people experiencing homelessness still remains much too high. The commitments outlined in the Housing for All policy and continued interagency co-operation between different Departments, local authorities and partners in the voluntary and NGO sector will be of vital importance as we continue to address this issue. The Bill will go forward for pre-legislative scrutiny where its deficiencies can be addressed and its potential effectiveness assessed. In the meantime, progress has been and will continue to be made in this critical area. We have an ambitious programme of work that will be intensified and accelerated in the months and years to come to eradicate homelessness by 2030.

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