John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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While today's media coverage is dominated by President-elect Trump, I wish to bring to the Tánaiste's attention an issue of a domestic nature that has not gone away - the issue of housing. A few weeks ago two teachers from our constituency approached me. They were concerned about the welfare of two of their students, who are brothers. I met the teachers and subsequently met the family. I will not identify who they are. The parents and six children in this family are living in a hotel in Dublin city. They are commuting daily to Clondalkin to attend school. Their plight living in a hotel is not a good one. There are no cooking or laundry facilities. Their plight has endured since we were elected to this House; they have been in the same hotel since February.

I know that Members of this House from all parties are concerned about the housing crisis and a housing committee was established in advance of the formation of Government. Subsequently the Government produced its report on the housing issue, Rebuilding Ireland - an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. That report was launched four months ago and was specific in regard to a range of actions attached to it. Many Members of this House while having different views on it, fully support and endorse the report and were concerned that the actions would be implemented as quickly as possible.

I am concerned that we have a lot of rhetoric with launch after launch. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, is launching another pillar of the report today. The implementation of the report is of particular concern to me. It is worth noting that in the four months since the report was launched, according to a report published by daft.iethis week house rental prices in Dublin in particular, but also nationally, have increased significantly. Those in homelessness continue to rise as indicated by the figures that were published. Approximately 2,500 children are in emergency accommodation

The first two actions specified in Rebuilding Ireland - an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness would have an impact on the family I described. Action 1.1 was to provide 1,500 new units under a rapid-build housing programme over a couple of years. Very specifically it indicated that 200 units of rapid-build accommodation would be provided in quarter 4 of 2016. I ask the Tánaiste to update the House on the progress in delivering those 200 units in quarter 4.

Action 1.2 states: "We will transition homeless households and individuals from emergency accommodation through the Dublin Region HAP Homeless Pilot". The target there was to deliver 550 tenancies in quarter 4. We are in quarter 4. The families I represent in our constituency could be the beneficiaries if these actions were implemented in a timely manner. I ask the Tánaiste to update the House on those two specific actions.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Clearly, every Member of this House is very conscious of the huge impact the lack of supply of housing has on individual families, as Deputy Curran has explained. That is why this is a priority focus for the Government and for the Hose. It is why a comprehensive plan has been put forward. Clearly the lack of supply of homes is central to wider problems in the housing sector as the Deputy described it. Lack of supply is driving up prices and increasing rents, and in turn influences homelessness. As the Deputy knows, every action is being taken to ensure that families are not in the situation he has described. None of us here wants to see one extra family having to be accommodated in a hotel. Moving into a hotel is not part of the solution to homelessness and we do not want it to be part of the solution. That is why the announcements have been made and the action has been taken.

The Deputy played a role in chairing the committee that did the preliminary work in examining this. We recognise those very significant challenges. Today the Minister has made a further announcement on the important point we have to deal with - the fast-track delivery arrangements for the 30,000 new homes in Dublin, Cork and other urban locations around the country. Every action under pillar 3 is designed to kick-start badly needed additional supply. A key element, as the Deputy knows, is the identification of the major urban housing development sites with the potential to deliver up to 30,000 additional homes in locations on existing lands, some of them close to our constituency, where there is key demand so that we can ensure that people have housing.

The Minister has spoken about the number of families who have already moved out of homelessness - it is over 1,000 this year. I believe I gave those figures this day last week here. Clearly fast-track housing is under construction. Over 300 units are at various stages of construction by local authorities and those will be made available to families as soon as possible. The budget to support those organisations working with homelessness has been increased in order to help them ensure every unit they have is available to families. Local authorities throughout the country are ensuring that vacant properties are returned to use in a much more accelerated way than previously. We all know that was a problem, but it is now being done in many areas. The Government has made every effort on the various initiatives the Deputy outlined. It is the unrelenting focus of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to ensure that every unit that can become available will come available as quickly as possible. Every support is being given to local authorities to ensure that happens.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste answered a number of questions I did not ask. Picking up on the point she made, it is important that local authorities are given the additional staff to fast-track and deliver the housing programmes they are expected to do. The Tánaiste referred to vacant properties. Most local authorities are now improving their record in turning them around. However, in the budget the Government failed to deal with vacant properties in the private sector. The Government committed €6 million to deliver 150 properties. There are over 40,000 vacant properties in the greater Dublin area. There is not enough emphasis on fast delivery for those families who are homeless at the moment.

I specifically did not ask about pillar 3. I outlined the case of a family in a hotel for an extended period. I indicated that if the first two actions of pillar 1 were being implemented effectively, the people I represent and referred to would have a far greater chance. The first action was that 200 units of rapid-build accommodation would be provided in quarter 4 of 2016. Where do we stand on that specific commitment? The second commitment related to the HAP homeless pilot, which was to deliver 550 tenancies in quarter 4 of 2016. Those two specific initiatives would address the plight of the family I am asking about. It is not pillar 3 - the long term - but the immediate issues to deal with those people who have been in temporary accommodation for a long time.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I, no more than the Deputy, do not want to see any family spend an extra day in temporary accommodation such as he has described. We all care about every individual and family finding themselves in this situation. That is why local authorities are making every effort to move families, such as the family the Deputy has described, into suitable accommodation.

We need to recognise that well over 1,000 families have already moved out of such accommodation. Of course, other families may move into such temporary accommodation, as the Deputy has described. I do not know the particular factors preventing the family the Deputy described from being offered a home, but many other families in similar situations have moved on from the kind of accommodation the Deputy described. Perhaps he can give me the details of that particular family and I will bring them to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to ascertain-----

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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There were two questions.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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-----precisely what has happened in that particular case. The Minister has put on record here the details of the progress to date. According to what he said here, approximately 300 fast-track housing units are currently under way in the Dublin area.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Some 750,000 people live in the private rented sector. In Dublin one in four households rent. Gone are the days of renting being the preserve of transient students, low income families or those who were saving to buy their first home. Increasingly, the private rented sector is where low and middle income families, and those who are languishing on council waiting lists, spend long periods of time. For three years the rent crisis has spiralled out of control. As the Tánaiste knows, average rents across the State are now €1,000 per month and in Dublin average rents are in excess of €1,500 per month. Rents are now higher than they were at the peak of the boom. In the Tánaiste's own constituency, a family renting a three-bedroom house in Foxborough or in Earlsfort can expect to pay €1,700 per month. That is more than €20,000 per year for an average family home. Low and middle income families who rent are now paying between 40% and 60% of their disposable income on rents. Families relying on rent supplement or housing assistance payment, HAP, are being priced out of the market. A 200% increase in family homelessness in the last two years is directly related to the crisis in the rented sector. Tonight some 2,500 children will spend another night in emergency accommodation, many because of the failures of the Tánaiste and her Government since taking office. The mealy-mouthed measures introduced in 2014 did nothing to stop the spiralling cost of accommodation. When Sinn Féin introduced the Rent Certainty Bill in June, Fine Gael - enthusiastically supported by Fianna Fáil - voted it down. That legislation would have saved hard-pressed families who are renting up to €2,000 per year. The Tánaiste has said that we are pre-empting the Minister, Deputy Coveney's strategy for the private rented sector which is due later this year. Yet, only weeks later the Minister introduced legislation seeking to amend the Residential Tenancies Act. It seems that the Government is happy to pre-empt its own rental strategy so long as it is not helping hard-pressed renters. Struggling families who are renting are crying out for the Tánaiste's help and they have a very simple question. Will her Government introduce emergency rent certainty legislation next week to stop the spiralling costs of rents and ease the burden on these families?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government has announced a whole series of actions that we believe will, in the coming period, deal with the situation Deputy Ó Broin outlined. With regard to this massive issue, we recognise it is a hugely significant challenge, brought about by a series of events such as the economic collapse and the particular attitude taken to housing at a particular time, as the Deputy has highlighted. These are all consequences of the very serious economic collapse the State faced. I recognise that each family is looking for a solution, not comments on the general economic situation. I must point out that the Government's priority is to increase supply so the situation described by the Deputy will not be commonplace. We have already taken a series of unprecedented actions on housing, which were necessary and were introduced in the recent budget and previously by the last Government, including budgets being made available, legislation, planning and the fast-tracking of planning. We introduced a rent certainty so that tenants had more notice-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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What an outrageous success that was.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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-----and information before changes were made so they could have more certainty. The HAP will be introduced in Dublin this year to help families and, as I have already said to Deputy Curran, the various other initiatives which the Minister, Deputy Coveney, announced this morning with regard to pillar three of the housing strategy, to make sure that this issue is dealt with.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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That was from six years ago.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I take that as a "no".

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Of course there are short-term and immediate issues for families but there are also medium-term and the long-term ones. We want to do everything possible to make sure families, who are in the situation described by Deputy Ó Broin, have as much certainty as possible. We have already outlined in the budget a range of ways for more accommodation to become available, whether it is through the rent-a-room scheme or the various tax incentives, as support for those who are in the rented sector. There are serious issues and challenges. It is a priority for the Government and for the Minister, Deputy Coveney. We have a Minister with responsibility for housing for the first time ever and every action that is possible is being taken in the short, medium and long term.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I take the Tánaiste's response as a "no" to the one action I asked her about. Any struggling renter watching this debate can only conclude that she is so out of touch with the pressures that people are facing that she just does not understand. The Tánaiste made reference to 30,000 private sector houses. If that is achieved, the houses will not be tenanted for another two years. She spoke of 300 rapid builds but she must check her notes because there are only 36 rapid builds under construction currently in this city, and the remainder will not start until next year. She also said that the Government would increase the budget, but all it has done is reverse the cuts, which the Tánaiste herself voted for since taking office in 2011. Next week the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Coveney's Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill will be in the Seanad. He could table a rent certainty amendment that would put a halt to spiralling rents. If he does not, one can be damn sure Sinn Féin will table an amendment. Given Deputy Micheál Martin's crocodile tears for struggling renters yesterday, I am sure he will be happy to support our amendment. I will ask the Tánaiste the question again and maybe this time she will stop avoiding it. Will her Government introduce the necessary legislation to give struggling renters a break or will she, for the third time this year, give two fingers to those struggling families and oppose rent certainty?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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We are certainly not doing that, and it is disgraceful of the Deputy to say that. Deputy Ó Broin has no monopoly on caring about people who are homeless.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Then vote for the amendment.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Every single Member of this House cares about the homeless situation.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Show it by your actions.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Can we have order please for the Tánaiste?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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That is why this is a priority for us.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Actions speak louder than words.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Actions have been taken to address this situation. I remind the Deputies that we inherited an unprecedented situation with regard to the economy. If the previous Government and this one had not taken action and done what was done to rescue this economy, there would be no money to invest in the kinds of services needed, including housing. That is what we have done. We have made sure that we can now invest in the very serious social issues that have arisen as a result of the mismanagement of this economy. Sinn Féin might acknowledge that occasionally and the fact that the economy is recovering from a very dark place.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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For private landlords.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Not for struggling renters.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call on Deputy Brendan Howlin.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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It is not recovering for struggling renters.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will Deputy Ó Broin control himself please?

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I will do my best.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is an old adage that candidates campaign in poetry and govern in prose. In his poetry the President-elect Trump always sought to go low. In his prose we can only hope he occasionally reaches high. That said, all of us as democrats accept and respect the decision made by the American people. They voted for a man who they believe will change things. They voted because they are unhappy with the status quo. One of the changes championed by the President-elect has been the change in immigration policy. When congratulating President-elect Trump yesterday, the Taoiseach said that he also intended to work closely with the new administration and newly elected United States Congress to pursue comprehensive immigration reform. On 1 September, however, Donald Trump said that there will be no amnesty and that he will set up a special deportation task force. He said that one cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering that country. Mr. Trump's position is diametrically opposed to the stated policy of Ireland. Mr. Trump has said that he would deport illegal immigrants from the United States within 100 days of taking office. That clock is ticking. Perhaps the Tánaiste will indicate what the Government's strategy is to secure immigration reform on the basis of an agreed position by the House. Will the Tánaiste indicate what the Government has done to date, in the anticipation of a possible Trump election victory, to address this crucial issue?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy said, the American people have spoken and democratically elected Donald Trump to be their next President. Deputy Brendan Howlin raised, in particular, the issue of immigration reform which, as he said, had featured so prominently in the debate. I confirm to the House that, of course, securing relief for the undocumented Irish in the United States remains an absolute priority for the Government. We have had all along a two-pronged approach to the issue of immigration reform - trying to regularise the status of the undocumented and trying to get a dedicated quota for legal emigration from Ireland. On the former, we have pressed and will continue to press for a solution for the undocumented Irish. We all know of individual cases and the trauma and difficulties for Irish people who find themselves in this position. As the Deputy knows, both he and Ministers in the previous Government consistently raised the issue with their US counterparts at every opportunity. The Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, raises it continuously and will continue to do so. Of course, as we well know, a new administration and a new Congress will take time to settle in, but we fully intend to pursue the issue in our contacts with the administration and Congress and encourage and promote realistic possibilities for a solution. The should be in no doubt that this remains a priority. The relationship between Ireland and the United States has a long history and there are many ties that bind us. This will continue to be the case. The relationship between Ireland and the United States is complex and multilayered and based on a shared community, as well as our political and economic ties. Less than 48 hours have passed since the election result was confirmed. We obviously do not know yet the likely composition of the Trump Administration, but, as the Deputy said, the Taoiseach has already made contact and had a preliminary conversation. We will continue to pursue the values we hold dear and the priority issues, of which immigration reform remains an absolute priority.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Like the rest of us, the Tánaiste has some awareness of the anxiety of the 50,000 undocumented Irish, many of whom are calling our offices to see what can be and what is to be done to address their precarious situation. We need to have a strategy and a discussion about it. We can do something. Migrant Rights Centre Ireland estimates that there are between 20,000 and 26,000 undocumented persons living in Ireland, of whom between 2,000 and 6,000 are children. There are thousands of young undocumented children in Ireland who, bluntly, live in the shadows of our society. This is an issue we can address. If we are to take the initiative the Minister has indicated to protect the 50,000 undocumented Irish in the United States, is there not an absolute burden on us and an imperative for us to practise what we preach and address the position of those in the State who are undocumented?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Of course, this is the reality every country has to face. I have had meetings with the Migrant Rights Council of Ireland and intend to have further discussions. Of course, what, in the first instance, we encourage everyone to do is make contact with official sources and regularise his or her position. As the Deputy knows, every few months in this country there are citizenship ceremonies which many thousands of people attend. Every week and every month hundreds of visas are granted to people to work in this country. We have a very inclusive approach to those who seek to work here. This is continuing and there has been no change in that regard. That is what I encourage those who are undocumented to do. The Migrant Rights Council of Ireland and I have been discussing what other actions we might take to ensure this will happen. That is the primary focus.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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Five weeks ago the Tánaiste referred two very serious protected disclosures by two senior gardaí to a retired judge, Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill, for urgent inquiry. The disclosures, in which it was alleged the Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan, was directly involved in a systematic and organised campaign to discredit the whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe with colleagues, politicians and journalists, were due to be investigated by the former judge, who is due to conclude and report back next week. However, he was given no powers of compellability and no terms of reference. Attempts made by other whistleblowers to have their cases heard also, as they too have been the victims of bullying and harassment since making protected disclosures, were ignored, despite the fact that their testimony and experiences were current. They go to the very heart of the systemic problem in An Garda Síochána - what is said in public and what is done privately are entirely different. It was hardly an auspicious start to the inquiry when this was its foundation. One would be forgiven for thinking it was put together as a fig leaf for the Minister to take cover behind for her lack of action in this regard. This view has been strengthened as we find out that with a week to go to the issuing of his report, the former judge has not requested any material from either of the two whistleblowers. He has not met or even spoken to either man. In fact, the only interaction was request, approximately two weeks ago, to their legal teams to pass on the protected disclosure to the Garda Commissioner. We could not make it up.

What sort of inquiry does the Minister honestly expect us to believe this is? While this has been going on, we have had the Garda Commissioner appear at the justice committee with senior officers who are at the heart of many of the protected disclosure complaints. At the same meeting she misled the committee by stating she was not privy to information on a campaign of harassment against any member of the force when she was actually in direct receipt of 14 letters outlining precisely the situation. She has been the subject of a detailed section 41 complaint on which the Minister has been briefed. We are awaiting GSOC's finding. She has lost the support of the ranks of the force by intervening in a partisan way in their legitimate pay claim with threats of martial law. Why has the Tánaiste allowed the situation to continue to crisis point? On what basis does she believe she has the right to delegate to retired judges, GSOC and the courts functions that are her responsibility in law, namely, to hold the Commissioner to account?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I would have thought the Court of Appeal's ruling today would have been an intense reminder to Members that we should take stock and reflect before making allegations in the House. The good name and reputation of all individuals deserve respect and fair procedures. The Deputy is making various points about a report a judge is currently conducting and which is due next week. She has stated she has access to details of it. I do not. It is an independent report by a judge. As the House is aware, I appointed Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill to review allegations of wrongdoing set out in some protected disclosures made to me. In addition to reviewing the allegations, Mr. Justice O'Neill has been asked to report on his conclusions, in a preliminary report, and make any recommendation he considers necessary on further action deemed to be appropriate or warranted. The report and review have been commenced and the judge was asked to report within six weeks. He will report next week and I have no reason to believe this deadline will not be met. As soon as I receive the report, I will consider it very carefully and examine the recommendations made. The Government will decide on future action to be taken on the points made by the Deputy.

I asked Mr. Justice O'Neill to conduct this review because I was very concerned, as I have stated in the House previously, about the content of the material I had received. That is why I decided this should be done.

The Garda Commissioner has indicated publicly that the Garda Síochána will co-operate fully with any examination of these matters. How the judge conducts his business during these six weeks is a matter for him. I will get the report, I will examine it and I will decide on action relating to the issues he has examined. It was thought that, as a first assessment, it would be extremely useful to ask a judge to examine the material that was given to me. If for any reason, he has concerns about the level of co-operation I have no doubt he will make them very clear. I will read his report with great interest when I receive it next week.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is my desire to ensure that every leader has an opportunity to raise matters of important public concern and Deputy Daly is doing that. However, we have absolute privilege and we should be very careful how we use that absolute privilege. It has been a long-standing precedent that we do not make allegations against people outside the House. The Deputy referred to protected disclosures and they are certainly in the public media but she has made specific allegations about a committee being misled by the Garda Commissioner. I think that is inappropriate, it is not something we should do and it is certainly not something the Deputy should now repeat.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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I take my responsibility very seriously in this regard and I repeat, very firmly, that nothing I said was an allegation or a use of privilege. I gave details of facts which can be supported by evidence and I have no problem standing over any of those points.

The Tánaiste made the point that it is up to the judge to carry out the inquiry as he sees fit but he can only do that within the confines of the powers he has. Can the Tánaiste confirm to the House that the judge has been given the authority to request the electronic information that supports the allegations at the heart of these matters? People's good names are very important and at the heart of this matter are the muddying and tarnishing of the good name of Sergeant Maurice McCabe. This is also about the horrendous nightmare that is being experienced by current members of An Garda Síochána who have made protective disclosures and I am not only talking about those whose names are in the public domain. I and Deputy Wallace recently met with a further six serving members of An Garda Síochána who have all either made protective disclosures or are on the verge of doing so. What part of this situation does the Tánaiste think is normal or okay? We have an enormous crisis of confidence inside An Garda Síochána, primarily and largely centred on the role of the Garda Commissioner. The civilian head of An Garda Síochána, GSOC and the courts are investigating these matters but the Tánaiste seems to be okay with delegating to others her legal responsibility for doing precisely that and she will not get away with it.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I have made sure that if allegations arrive on my desk they are appropriately handled. I want to ensure that whistleblowers feel a confidence in coming forward and every action I have taken has been targeted at ensuring that whistleblowers in An Garda Síochána are dealt with appropriately and properly. The actions of the Garda Commissioner in working with Transparency Ireland and in implementing the new policy have been to ensure that whistleblowers feel supported if they come forward. Many challenges are facing An Garda Síochána and this and the last Government have taken steps to ensure bodies exist with independent responsibility to monitor, assess and discuss with An Garda Síochána the various issues which arise. That is why we set up an independent Garda authority, the first time we have ever had an independent authority responsible for oversight of the work of An Garda Síochána. Members of this House have consistently called for independent bodies to monitor the work of gardaí, to take account of the various initiatives in which they are involved and to look at policies and their implementation. We now have the Policing Authority and GSOC, which is responsible for investigating complaints. I will not take any actions that will cut across the work of the independent bodies that Members of this House sought.