Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. "Housing for All" is the wrong title because it would be more accurate and honest to say "no housing for a substantial number of people" and in particular, the 10,805 people who are homeless. That is 7,585 plus 3,220, giving a total of 10,805. It is important to read these figures out to the Minister of State because these are people who are homeless. As I have asked repeatedly, and at the risk of boring him with repetition, at what point does the Government say our housing policy is not working? Will it be 11,000 homeless or 15,000? I wonder what figure will give the Government cause for reflection because it has not happened yet.

Today in Galway city, homeless people being accommodated in bed and breakfasts must leave them at a particular hour, stay out all day and come back at 6 in the evening. I understand in a number of premises no visitors are allowed. This is what we are doing to people. On top of that, I am reliably informed the council is saying its homeless accommodation is full. If it was an exception I would understand but this is a direct result of the Government's policy and the previous Government's policy. I had 17 years as a city councillor and from 2009, no local authority houses were built, full stop. Shortly after that, the then Government brought in HAP, told us there was no other game in town and proceeded to house people in private accommodation on taxpayers' money, plus a top-up payment. It used to be an under-the-counter payment and then it was a top-up payment. The Government privatised the system of housing. That is what it did. The Government is putting more than €1 billion into HAP alone. Every time I stand up here heads are shaking as if we have an ideology. I believe housing is a fundamental right. Without shelter and security of tenure, you cannot participate in society.

It is difficult even to be healthy with the constant moving and insecurity. Let us look at some of the Government's own targets. Nearly two thirds of all local authority home loans have been declined since the scheme opened at the start of the year. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the Housing Agency found that by 2021, the agency's completed acquisitions figure was 868 residential units, 54% of its target. What does the Government do? It continues with schemes that are actively bolstering the market. Let us look at its very favourable help-to-buy scheme and the review that it did not publish until it had made the announcement. It states:

The scheme promotes demand for new housing in a market where the problems that exist are unequivocally supply restraints. [Let us look at this] There are weaknesses in the help to buy scheme [the report authors are trying to help the Government with this very awkward sentence] and it cannot be concluded that it is sufficiently efficient to represent good value for money. Consequently, we conclude that it should be withdrawn ... A rational approach would not design this scheme as it currently exists.

It cost €200 million alone this year. It is going to exceed €1 billion from the time it was brought in. It is helping those who are richer and do not need a deposit. All of that is set out. The Minister then takes the one sentence where it says the Government cannot do away with it now, it has to renew it for two years because it has become too big to fail. It is embedded with the other policies that are bolstering the market. What we need is public housing on public land along with many other changes.

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