Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Reports in the media over the past couple of weeks have brought to our consciousness the fate of many families with young children that are facing homelessness. These families, some with working parents and some with parents who are looking for employment, are bravely standing up to the stereotypes about the homeless. Stereotypes rarely serve any positive purpose and the negative stereotypes have been leading us to a false belief of homelessness as being self-inflicted and, therefore, somehow deserved. Adequate housing is a human right vital to human dignity, security and well-being. No-one deserves to be homeless, least of all a child.

We should remember that homelessness is not an isolated issue from the overall economic situation in Ireland due to the banking debt crisis and austerity measures. Our society has been polarised even further. Is not this a core part of the message of the Irish people when they exercised their vote on Friday last? The level of income inequality in Ireland is one of the highest in Europe and the situation of low-income families, those families which depend on social welfare and middle-class families in negative equity has been untenable as they are being pushed into poverty and consequent homelessness.

The Government has published its implementation plan on the State's response to homelessness, which I welcome. I reviewed it thoroughly in consultation with TASC and many of its incentives are good. Moreover, I understand the Minister updated the Cabinet today on these issues.

However, the Government strategy does not address adequately one core issue at the heart of the crisis, namely, the unaffordable private rental market. The relative lack of residential housing available for renting is driving up rents and forcing close to 100,000 households onto social housing waiting lists, as they are unable or are struggling to stay in private-rented accommodation. One response is that the Government is committing more funds for rent supplement but this is bound to drive rents even higher and the main beneficiary of this investment will be the private landlords. Consequently, I do not believe this is the best use of our resources.

While there is an urgent need to construct social housing, the private-rented housing market should not be allowed to become out of reach for Irish families. A regulated accessible private-rented market would be the best partner to have in the endeavour to facilitate adequate housing for all. Hence, I ask the Leader to ask the Minister of State with special responsibility for housing and planning to establish an expert task force to outline a national strategy to develop the market for residential leasing and renting, as well as to strengthen tenants' rights as a sustainable housing strategy and a key aspect of solving the homelessness problem. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to come to the House to consider this proposal.