Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

The fact that more than 5,000 children are currently living in emergency accommodation is a national disgrace. It is 5,000 young lives disrupted, 5,000 children in crisis, and 5,000 futures being shaped by instability and hardship.

We in the Independent Ireland party believe the Government must go much further and much faster. It must declare a national housing emergency because that is what it is. The Government must use emergency powers to cut through the endless red tape that is choking delivery. We need modular and prefabricated homes that are modern and decent and that are rolled out in weeks not years. We must activate the thousands of vacant and derelict homes in towns and villages and turn emptiness into homes.

We urge the Government to invest in prevention. Too many families end up homeless because of arrears or eviction notices. The Government must help them early, provide supports for those in arrears, and mediation between tenants and landlords, so people can keep their homes in the first place. Let us use the tax system to cut rents because workers paying more than half their wages in rent have no chance of getting ahead.

Another issue that is related to child poverty is the hot school meals programme. It was meant to be a solution but, again, as we highlighted, it is deeply flawed. The scheme is riddled with bureaucracy and has become a form of discrimination against small rural schools. Unrealistic requirements such as architectural certification and mechanical ventilation are pushing providers away and leaving children without a hot meal. Some children who are living in the right place can get it but others cannot. It is a case of tough luck. That is basically how the system the Government put in place works. We have proposed a practical community-based solution. We should use the existing meals-on-wheels network model to deliver hot meals to schools. These services are already on the road. They are already certified and trusted by the public.

While we agree with much of what is contained in the motion, we have difficulty with the Labour Party's intention of shifting money from the reduction in VAT on the hospitality sector. Deputy Paul Murphy gave out about people talking to Adrian Cummins. I do not care who we talk to. The cafes, hairdressers and restaurants in this country are closing their doors. They do not have a clue. They think we should just shift money, which would further destroy them.

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