Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government that an additional €4 million will be allocated to the Dublin regional homelessness executive to deal with homelessness in the Dublin region. This is a supplementary sum on top of the money that has already been allocated for homelessness in Dublin. Approximately 300 families are currently in emergency accommodation in Dublin, of whom 160 are living in hotels. The tenancies sustainment protocol, which was developed by the four Dublin local authorities and is operated by Threshold, has had 942 families at immediate risk of homelessness coming to its service. There is no doubt that homelessness in the Dublin region is at critical proportions.

It is rather sad that much of this difficulty has been brought about because the level of rent supplement paid in the Dublin region is inadequate to cover the cost of accommodation. It is ironic that we have saved €170 million on the rent supplement budget in the Department of Social Protection since 2010 but are now paying over and above the odds to accommodate families in hotels instead of proper housing. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Social Protection into the House at an early opportunity to allow her to outline to the House her plans for reviewing the rent supplement system. It is not acceptable that people are losing their homes because the level of rent supplement paid in this city is inadequate.