Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I hope to have a full debate shortly when the Minister is available. Otherwise the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, and I can have this debate at the Ballinasloe fair next weekend. The Government's policy statement from February 2013 declared, "It is the Government's aim to end long-term homelessness by the end of 2016". I fully support the statement but the chief executive of the Simon Community has said that the homelessness and rough sleeping crisis is worse than ever now. He said that we are in the worst of times and that the Government must decide its policy on housing because no one is building houses. He stated: "The homeless fella on the street can't afford private-rented accommodation. Rents are going up, rent allowance caps are coming down all the time, there's no extra accommodation being provided. It's a complete logjam".

I read a quotation in the newspapers yesterday to the effect that the number of people sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin has increased by 88% in the past year. I raised the matter with the Taoiseach yesterday in respect of promised legislation and he replied that the housing assistance Bill is due in early 2014. I understand there may further legislation as well and I am keen to know when it will be ready. The Taoiseach also remarked that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, would be meeting NAMA concerning the potential of acquiring units of housing. Perhaps the Minister of State could give details of the meeting which, I understand, took place yesterday, and any steps to be taken to deal with this important issue.

In recent weeks I attended the launch of housing reports by the Peter McVerry Trust and Focus Ireland. They outlined the challenges that are facing the homeless and the organisations themselves as well as raising the issue of youth homelessness. I understand the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is reviewing a youth homelessness strategy and I seek information on that as well. There is an issue of oversight. The Minister has appointed an oversight group which was established to monitor and measure progress. This is an urgent matter and it needs an urgent response.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I express my disappointment that neither Minister was available to take this urgent debate today. The figures published by the Simon Community earlier this week are a cause of concern. They show an increase of 88% in the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin city centre. There are reports that capacity for short-term crisis accommodation has been reduced and that social housing units are not being turned over quickly enough. One of my primary concerns is that buildings which have been bought to provide accommodation for the homeless are not being used. The Minister of State may be aware that I raised this issue in February this year. I pointed out that Dublin City Council spent €7 million on the former Longfields Hotel, off Baggot Street, which has lain empty for six years.

This was highlighted by Ursula Halligan on the TV3 news, but unfortunately there has been very little movement. It is unacceptable for large amounts of money to be spent to provide much-needed accommodation in this area only for it to be left idle. Longfields Hotel may well be just one of many. While the Minister of State is committed to the long-term strategy to eradicate homelessness by 2016, swift action must be taken now as winter approaches. In my home area of Ringsend and Pearse Street, more than 100 city council social housing units have been empty for anything between six months and two years. These could be turned around swiftly to get people out of temporary and short-term accommodation. It is completely unacceptable that such homes are lying empty and that potential homeless shelters are not being used. I urge the Minister of State to take immediate action by discussing this issue with his colleagues, given the absence of the Minister, Deputy Hogan. They should call in the relevant city and county managers to consider a mechanism to deal with this problem swiftly before the onset of winter.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Homelessness is one of the biggest crises facing us today. Approximately 5,000 people are homeless and according to Focus Ireland, seven new people report each day. This is an increase of 88% in rough sleepers. In addition, there also has been a huge rise in the number of people using the homeless services provided by the Peter McVerry Trust, Simon and Focus Ireland. This year there was a cut of €4.5 million, or 10.7%, in the Dublin homelessness service's budget. Only a tiny number of new public social housing units are being delivered and approved housing bodies are struggling to find credit. At present, 100,000 people are in mortgage distress and approximately 29,000 are in rent-to-buy schemes. These figures can be combined with the 112,000 people who are on the housing waiting list and if one considers those in the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, or in receipt of rent supplement, a further 110,000 are not properly housed. Recent cuts to rent supplement have added to the threat of homelessness and, in addition, some landlords under RAS have been seeking to take back properties even though contracts are in place. The local authorities cannot cope with the numbers and are even suggesting to people that they should report to its homeless section.

While it is a terrible tragedy to lose one's home, to end up in a bed-and-breakfast or homeless shelter with one's family, away from services and community support such as schools, compounds an already tragic situation. The Government made quite a fanfare of rededicating itself to a deadline of ending long-term homelessness and rough sleeping by 2016. I have welcomed this, as it is a realisable goal and a good target to set. It should be a priority for the Government to do so. While this may be a priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, it certainly is not for the Government at large. All the major players in tackling homelessness agree the solution is a political one, which requires political will and the dedication to put funds where they are needed. Allowing homelessness to spiral further out of control is more costly in the long term than dedicating funds to reach the target set for 2016. The Minister of State has rightly referred to a housing-led approach but this does not appear to be the course being followed, certainly not in a sustainable fashion that meets the needs of those emerging from homelessness.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, is not available to take this debate today but has asked me to thank the Members for providing this opportunity to discuss the issue of homelessness and the Government's response to it. Dublin Simon has reported through the national media that 85 people were sleeping rough in Dublin city centre on 3 September 2013. This figure is comparable with the count of rough sleepers conducted in April 2013 and organised by the Dublin region homeless consultative forum, which found that 94 persons were confirmed as sleeping rough on the night in question. These rough sleeper figures indicate the significant challenge in dealing with the complexity of the homelessness issue and the difficulties in finding answers to it.

Rough sleeping is monitored closely countywide, but particularly in Dublin. The problem of rough sleeping is limited outside Dublin, as Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway city councils have reported sufficient bed capacity on a nightly basis and that no one was sleeping rough due to lack of a bed. The Dublin region's outreach team works on an ongoing basis to engage with all individuals sleeping rough with the specific goal of moving people into accommodation through Dublin City Council's central placement service. Dublin City Council commenced a public awareness campaign earlier this week to allow members of the public to contract the outreach team about people sleeping rough with a view to moving people into temporary accommodation and on to independent living.

The priority of the Government, as has been identified by the Deputies opposite, is to ensure that homeless people have access to secure, stable and appropriate accommodation. It is not acceptable that people should sleep on the streets of our cities and towns, and while the immediate hardship of sleeping rough may be solved through emergency accommodation, this is not a viable long-term solution. The recently published homelessness policy statement outlined the Government's aim to end long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. I assure Deputy Ellis that in setting out her ambition to end homelessness by 2016, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has the full support of the Government in meeting that target. The statement emphasises a housing-led approach, which is about accessing permanent housing as the primary response to all forms of homelessness.

The availability and supply of secure, affordable and adequate housing is essential in ensuring sustainable tenancies and in ending long-term homelessness. While it is clear that a proportion of funding must be used to provide sufficient bed capacity to accommodate those in need of emergency accommodation, it is equally important that resources be channelled to deliver more permanent responses in a more focused and strategic way. In the Dublin region in 2012, 879 people moved from homelessness to independent living. A set of indicators is now being used to demonstrate the dynamics of homelessness as it is addressed across the country. These indicators will give a clearer picture of homelessness in Ireland and, in quantifying its ongoing extent, will support the introduction of realistic and practical solutions. As part of the new arrangements for funding housing authorities in dealing with homelessness in 2013, reports on indicators are being provided to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

First, I note that COPE Galway, the organisation dealing with housing in Galway city, has stated that Galway's homeless are so for longer than they should be. However, it is not as serious a problem as it is in Dublin and that is the reason I concentrated my remarks on Dublin in particular. The Minister and the Department should consider the question of who conducts the weekly street counts on the number of people sleeping rough in the city centre area in particular, because the Simon Community has stated that the figures could be higher, as the count does not include the hidden homeless who stay in hospitals, Internet cafes and squats. The answer to the question I put to the Minister is that perhaps we do not know the real figure for homelessness. This is the reason I noted at the outset of my contribution that a longer Dáil debate on this issue is needed. The time available to raise a matter in a Topical Issue debate is very short, but this is a major problem for families and the organisations that deal with the homeless. Perhaps the Minister of State might indicate whether the oversight group established by the Minister to monitor and measure progress has come up with any suggestions as to what might be done. He might also deal with the question of youth homelessness, which is a serious matter.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While this is a short debate, Members should have that discussion in any event. Deputy Ellis and I work in similar communities and I consider the homeless count to be merely an indicator. On a daily basis, homelessness is a far bigger issue than the number of people who are sleeping rough. I have encountered people who are sleeping on their friends' floors and who move around either weekly or daily. As for the complications of even getting onto the homeless list, one will see a queue of people outside Dublin City Council's homeless section. In addition, the hostels are overcrowded. From my experience, homelessness certainly is far more widespread than can be encompassed by counting the number of people who are sleeping rough. This issue must be tackled. I came through the city council and both former councillor Ellis and I probably could wallpaper our homes with the number of reports, strategies and everything else that has been produced. Had the money that was spent on those reports been spent on providing housing units, we might not be in this crisis.

We need a wider discussion on this. Perhaps the Minister of State will refer this back to the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, and get them to bring it back to the committee. Let us have a wider discussion on this. I am sick to my eye teeth and my heart is broken dealing on a daily and weekly basis with young families, some unemployed and some in employment, who just cannot get a home of their own. They might not show up in the figures for the homeless on the streets, but the problem is growing. The rough sleeping count is only a symptom. Let us get down to dealing with the real problem. As I said earlier, I represent a city centre constituency in which I can point to nearly 100 social units that have lain empty for between six months and two years. That is totally unacceptable. We, the Government and Parliament, must get to the root cause of this.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since 2008 there has been a cut of almost €1 billion in the housing budget. The National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, has only delivered 400 units. Next year, Dublin City Council will only build 18 houses, aside from the regeneration projects. This is an absolute tragedy. Local authorities are unable to turn over their properties because they do not have the money to do so. Where will we get the housing? A housing-led approach is one thing, but we need housing to adopt that approach. That is the problem. I have been dealing with people who are losing their houses because the banks are seeking to repossess them. They come from different parts of the country and they are being told that they must put themselves in a homeless situation. That is happening more often.

Time and again Deputy Humphreys and I have been told about solutions to homelessness and have seen documents produced to solve homelessness. We could paper the walls with them. We must get real about this. If we do not build more social housing, we face a major tragedy. I cannot see how this figure can be reached in 2016 on the basis of what is being done.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I agree wholeheartedly that the number of rough sleepers is only a symptom, an indication of a far more deeply rooted problem. However, the fact that the number of rough sleepers is slowly but surely reducing gives some hope that the overall issue of homelessness is being addressed in a meaningful way. The fact that last year 880 people moved from homelessness to independent living is another very strong indication that this Government has every intention of meeting its aim to end long-term homelessness by the end of 2016.

Homelessness funding, at a time when resources are extremely limited, has been substantially protected over the last number of years. This fact is important in the context of the wide-scale pressure for reductions in government spending across all Departments. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has been overseeing State and local government expenditure exceeding €50 million per year in respect of the running costs of homeless facilities and associated services. There is also a considerable capital investment in homeless services on an annual basis. In addition, the HSE is spending over €30 million in respect of health and personal social care related supports.

The Government has every intention of meeting that target and the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has the full support of the Government in that regard. The significant improvements that have been made over the past 24 months are a strong indication that the Government will meet that target by 2016.