Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We do not have projections for the coming months, but if we look at when notices to quit are issued, they do not directly correlate into homelessness figures. The same number of notices to quit do not exactly match the numbers going into emergency homeless accommodation. There is movement within the market already. As I said earlier, we have a made a difficult decision, but it is the correct one in the medium term. We have lost thousands of tenancies from the private rental market in the last six or seven years. We need a functioning private rental sector also.

To answer the Deputy's question with regard to refusals, when the tenant is in situthere have been a number of refusals through it. We have gone back to the local authorities and we have given a very clear direction to them. There needs to be some discretion. In some instances, there can be a refusal because the property is a very poor state, but I have told the local authorities very clearly that they have to purchase properties when there is a tenant in situwho is a HAP or RAS tenant. We are bringing in other measures for private tenants as well. We will be ramping that up. The local authorities have the resources and the capital. I would like to exceed the target of 1,500. If we exceed 1,500, there will be further resources for further homes to be purchased as well.

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