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

I thank the Deputy for the question. I was in Limerick last Friday meeting officials in relation to my portfolio but I also dropped into Limerick Men's Shed and I commend all fantastic work being done there.

I will try to address some of the questions the Deputy has raised. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. The role of my Department is to ensure that a framework of policy, legislation and funding are provided to ensure housing authorities are in a position to address homelessness at a local level. I assure the Deputy that resources and funding are not an obstacle to the urgent efforts required. Budget 2022 reflects this commitment by allocating €194 million for homelessness services.

It is acknowledged that there are currently severe pressures on access to emergency accommodation in Limerick city for a variety of reasons. I understand that Limerick City and County Council is doing everything in its power to address this matter. Under Housing for All, the Government has committed to working to eradicate homelessness by 2030. The plan includes 18 distinct actions tailored to eliminate homelessness. These actions recognise individuals experiencing homelessness have additional support needs and include specific measures to address these needs. They include measures to engage with and support rough sleepers into sustainable accommodation, the continued expansion of Housing First, a focus on the construction and acquisition of one-bedroom homes and, importantly, ensuring provision of the necessary health and mental health supports required to assist homeless people with complex needs.

Tackling homelessness requires an inter-agency approach. In order to drive better co-ordination in respect of policy measures and actions, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has established the national homeless action committee, NHAC. All of the key Government Departments, agencies, NGOs and stakeholders are involved. One of the initial priorities of the NHAC is to examine additional measures to prevent individuals and families from entering into homelessness before they receive the notice to quit the Deputy spoke about.

The key to addressing homelessness is an increase in the supply of housing. That being the case, the Government has committed to the increased supply of public, social and affordable homes. We will increase the social housing stock by more than 50,000 with an emphasis on new builds. In budget 2022, we backed this objective with funding of €4 billion for the delivery of housing. In this regard, Limerick City and County Council has a target of over 2,600 units to be delivered under Housing for All. There are already 1,000 units in its pipeline and the council is currently working to add additional projects and units under a variety of delivery streams.

I assure Deputy Quinlivan and others in the House of the work being done. Addressing homelessness continues to be an absolute priority for this Government. The points raised about the HAP are valid. The overall thrust of Government policy is to try to reduce reliance on that payment. While the ESRI report outlines that these rental income supports are an important part of the infrastructure, the Minister is committed to ensuring we reduce that reliance. The only way we will do that is by delivering social housing stock. We are committed to doing that and it is important we do so. I will raise with the Minister the issues of emergency spaces and the social income thresholds.

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