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

I reassure the Deputies that we are providing housing. It is not an issue of passing the buck to local authorities. There is collective responsibility and the Government is mindful of that. Resources and funding are not obstacles to the urgent efforts required. More than €215 million has been allocated to homeless services, including homeless prevention in 2023. This funding will ensure local authorities across the country can provide homeless prevention services, emergency accommodation and other services to households either experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Households experiencing homelessness are supported to exit homelessness to tenancies as quickly as possible.

To assist all stakeholders further to implement ongoing and additional measures to mitigate the impact of the emergency winter eviction ban, the Housing Agency and Department hosted a workshop on 29 March. It was a successful engagement that ensured those working in the area are equipped to utilise all the tools at their disposal to try to address, prevent and reduce homelessness. The big issue is increasing supply and the Government is firmly committed to doing so. Extending the eviction ban would not have done that.

We had almost 30,000 homes - we have put out the figures and they are correct - completed in 2022, a 45% increase on the figure for 2021, but we know and we are mindful that we need to do more. We can see the activation right across the country, with projects on site this year as well, in social, affordable and other forms of tenure. The solution lies in supply, but I reiterate the point that local authorities need to work individually with families. I know, from my experience with the families I deal with in Kilkenny, that local authorities are working consistently and having success in preventing homelessness and ensuring that families have a pathway towards secure and affordable housing.

See this speech in context