Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On Tuesday, the Taoiseach said in this Chamber that he could not understand how €20 million had already been allocated for Cork City Council for the tenant in situ scheme. He could not understand where the money was. He did not doubt its sincerity, but he could not understand what had happened. That is a shocking admission from a Taoiseach. Let us lay out the facts here today.

Cork City Council purchased 173 homes last year, eight more than it was originally sanctioned for. It received sanction for 50% more in June and was allowed to proceed. The Department sanctioned eight extra units. That meant 135 homes were purchased and closed in 2024, with an additional 38 homes bringing the total to 173 homes agreed and approved by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage at the end of last year. This saved 100 children and 134 adults from becoming homeless, equal to 40% of Cork City Council's homeless prevention measures.

This year, the Government provided €20 million. From that, €5.5 million has already been spent on 135 houses purchased last year and a further €12.7 million is needed to complete the purchase of 38 homes by the end of last year. An additional €3.5 million is needed for the refurbishment of the homes purchased last year. Despite €20 million in funding, Cork City Council has a deficit of €1.7 million. The problem is that the council agreed to buy 33 homes and notified families and landlords that they would do so. Families now face homelessness.

I raised this issue with the Taoiseach yesterday. I asked him a question and want to ask the Minister of State a straight question. Is the Government going to provide money to Cork City Council to purchase 33 homes for the 33 families who will be homeless in the next week or two? It is a straight question and I am looking for a straight answer. This is not for me. This is for the people I represent in Cork who are at risk of homelessness. They will have to tell their children over the weekend or next week that they will become homeless because the Government decided to cut funding for the tenant in situ scheme.

We told the Government this in March when we debated our Private Members' Bill and asked that the tenant in situ scheme be saved. The scheme works. It is one of the few things the Government did right. Tenants want houses to be purchased, landlords are willing to sell and local authorities want to purchase them. The only problem is that the Government will not provide the money. This is happening at a time when the country is awash with money and we have billions of euro to do this.

Cork City Council did its job and what the local authority was supposed to do. It should be commended for it. The Government did not do its job because it is not providing the funding.

I was contacted by a woman who works in the public sector and does not want to speak out publicly because of her job. She will be homeless. Imagine that she will have to go into a government job and tell her colleagues that she and her daughter will be homeless because the tenant in situ scheme is gone. This is a straightforward question. Before the Minister of State names everything that the Government is going to do and what it has spent, I want to ask him one question. Is this Government going to give the money to Cork City Council to save those 33 families from homelessness? Yes or no?

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