Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept that the definition of homelessness in the 1988 Act is inadequate. It is very clear and deals with people who live in temporary or insecure accommodation. Much is covered. There is always a danger in tying down definitions that it may not work the way one wants it to. The implementation of the homeless strategy is what is important. We have a statutory framework in the 1998 Act, it is mentioned again in this Bill and we will have the implementation plan for that strategy by the end of the year.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. This will not be done alone by the Department responsible for housing or by local authorities, or even by the organisations. It must be a co-operative approach. While in many cases my Department and the local authorities may provide the funds, we are not in a position to provide the care. Many of these people have social and addiction problems and need the provision of care. This must involve the Departments, the local authorities, the voluntary organisations and the HSE and the health side. This homelessness strategy will be successful if there is a co-operative approach.

I intend to drive the strategy and the implementation plan when it is available. The implementation plan will get legislative back-up when it is agreed. I do not want to pre-empt the final terms of the implementation plan. I have my own ideas, as has the Department, but it is a co-operative approach and that is the reason the consultation process has been ongoing for some time. While other people were on their summer holidays I was working on the homelessness strategy, and many other people on the voluntary side were available also. We have a short time in which to get it up and running. There are less than two months remaining but we have two years in which to get the results. No one person, be it the Minister or anybody else, can do that unless he or she has the co-operation. It appears from the comments made in this House that there is great support for tackling the problem and as politicians we have a responsibility in that regard. I have a responsibility, as Minister with responsibility for housing, to remove the sore of long-term emergency accommodation and to give some self-esteem to those who have been in such accommodation for up to eight years.

I appreciate the points made by the Senators but I am not in a position to accept the amendment. I ask the Senators to understand my position on it and accept that the final piece of the jigsaw, namely, the implementation plan, is not in place.