Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their questions. The number of people sleeping rough was in or around 100, or just below that at last count. I do not know what the discrepancy is between the Simon Community count and the DRHE count. I will ask that question. It might relate to the time of night at which it is done. It might also relate to whether it is done on a single night or over an average number of nights, which would be much more accurate than a count done on a single night. Emergency accommodation is available in Dublin for anybody who needs it. That might not always be true, but it is generally true. It is important to bear in mind a large number of people who are sleeping rough are offered shelter but choose, for various complex reasons, not to avail of it. That needs to be taken into account as well.

Deputy Dillon raised bidding for major sporting events. We will give consideration to a central body. It is very much a cross-government effort. It is not just about sport as it is a tourism issue as well. We have to know whether the accommodation will be available or whether we will just be displacing other accommodation. There are issues around travel and access to ports and airports. There are justice issues because policing is needed. Then there is also capital investment, which comes with costs for the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Thus, it needs to be a cross-government effort. Having been involved in some of the bids, successful and unsuccessful, they are very different. There is a world of difference between looking for the Ryder Cup and looking for a stage of the Giro d'Italia, or the Volvo Ocean Race or a major soccer or rugby tournament. They are such totally different beasts that sometimes a central body might not be what is needed and a bespoke body would be better, depending on the type of bid being made.

The Cabinet committee on housing will meet again before the summer recess. As I mentioned earlier, the cost rental and social housing income limits are kept under review and have been revised upwards in the past. I am sure they will be again, but I cannot say when at this stage.

To be clear to Deputies, while the Dáil and Seanad go into recess, the Government does not. Government meetings will continue throughout July, as will Cabinet subcommittee meetings. They will happen in September as well. There might be a three- or four-week break in August where there are none, but we will certainly continue to operate even while the Dáil is in recess.

On the housing adaptation grants, I understand there has been an increase in funding for this. If more is needed we should allocate more. I certainly do not want to see a situation whereby people are stuck in hospital because adaptations cannot be made to their homes. That is not right. It is also a false economy because the cost of somebody being in a hospital bed when they do not need be there means huge numbers of other people do not get into the hospital or do not get the treatment they need. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about that and if local authorities need additional funding for housing adaptation grants through the course of this year, I am sure we will be able to find it, unless it is a massive amount of money.

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