Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

The key issue in housing is supply. Everything the Government is doing is and will be focused on increasing the supply of houses right across the board. This includes an increased number of social houses. In the last four years, a record 48,000 social houses have been provided. Not since 2008 has that level of new-build social housing been provided. In addition, we brought in the tenant in situ scheme. Only two months ago, the Minister for housing secured an additional €325 million for that scheme to be used in cases such as that the Deputy has raised. Local authorities are saying they need more funding in addition to that. That is the context of record State funding for the housing issue. There can be no doubt about that. The Minister for housing is engaging with local authorities on specific issues they have raised. In some cases, it is the Minister's contention that cases can be resolved with the funding that has been allocated. He is also engaging with the local authorities on some specific issues they have with regard to acquisitions more broadly.

The scheme was reformed to target it more towards people in arrears who are in immediate danger of becoming homelessness rather than general acquisition. We want the focus and priority to be building more social houses. Some local authorities are better than others at building social houses enthusiastically and proactively. We cannot lose the balance in moving towards more acquisition. That was criticised in this House some years ago as regards the leasing of housing for social housing purposes. We still lease some in addition to the new builds. We also acquire others, particularly in the context of the tenant in situ scheme, which has now been in operation for two and half to three years. It has been very effective and impactful although, in our view, some of the funding was not used in a targeted way or in the way that was originally intended. We will continue to work with the local authorities in respect of the tenant in situ scheme.

Meanwhile, we are also working with approved housing bodies in addition to local authorities to get more social houses built. We are also working with homelessness organisations to get more provided for people who are homeless through the housing first agenda. The homelessness issue is much more complex than it was three or four years ago. Other factors are beginning to play into it.

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