Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

The Simon Communities of Ireland went on to say yesterday, “The measures announced today will do nothing to reduce the numbers of people being forced to experience the trauma of homelessness.” What it is saying and what I want the Minister to respond to is, of the €235 million of additional funding for homeless services on the allocation to date of this year, how much will be spent on new homeless prevention or homeless exits or is that money simply a reflection of what the Government is actually going to spend this year? Is the Minister going to bring a further Supplementary Estimate, for example, on homelessness that will show spend this year closer to the allocation for next? What is new in yesterday’s budget? How much money and on what programmes will the Minister use that money to reduce homelessness in the time ahead? On the basis of what I am seeing and what the homeless sector is saying, there is nothing new or additional to prevent or end homelessness more rapidly in yesterday’s budget.

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