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

Sure, this is the biggest single issue we are tackling and supply is key to all of it. Deputy Gould knows this as well. To give some facts, and to look at last year, 5,478 exits from homelessness were achieved by way of tenancies being created or else people exiting into social housing. We had more people exiting in the last quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year into permanent social housing because we are building up this stock. People enter homeless emergency accommodation for many reasons. It is not just because of the end of tenancies but also because of relationship break-ups or new arrivals. It is a complex issue. Looking at the first quarter of this year, though, nearly 1,500 adults, as well as their dependents, either exited or were prevented from entering emergency accommodation. This is a 15% increase on the year before. We are, therefore, exiting more people, although more people are coming in and I am aware of this fact. To be helpful to the House, and it is no consolation to anyone in emergency accommodation, but about two thirds of people spend less than six months in emergency accommodation before they are exited out. I think everyone will agree that the way to do this is to increase supply, which we are doing. I remind the Deputy we built more new social homes last year than we have done in nearly 50 years.

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