Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Department is listening to the stakeholders involved in this sector. The Private Residential Tenancies Board commissioned this report. The experts who advise the Department have shown that increases in rent supplement tend to inflate the rental market. Such an approach can have casualties, unintended or otherwise. I will be addressing the question of rent supplement in a moment. The Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection is responsible for the issue of rent supplement, which has been raised during this debate. She is acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation in the current market in which supply is constrained. An increase in rent supplement rental limits might not be the solution to the problem, as it is likely that it would add to rental inflation. It would have an impact not only on rent supplement recipients, but also on the wider rental sector. This would affect many lower income workers, families and students.

I understand the Tánaiste intends to keep the issue of rent supplement under close review. It should be noted that officers administering rent supplement throughout the country have considerable experience in dealing with customers. They make every effort to ensure the accommodation needs of such people are met, including through the use of discretionary statutory powers as necessary. It is not often understood that social welfare officers have discretionary powers to address specific issues in individual circumstances in order to keep people in their homes. They do exercise that discretion. In light of the particular concentration of the homelessness problem in the Dublin area, the Department of Social Protection has agreed a tenancy sustainment protocol with the Dublin local authorities and voluntary organisations so families on rent supplement that are at risk of losing their accommodation can have more timely and appropriate interventions made on their behalf.

As the Minister, Deputy Kelly, noted in his opening statement, the issue of homelessness is complex. Many Senators have outlined the various complexities associated with this important issue. It is about much more than funding and money. It is important to acknowledge that statutory responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless people rests with individual housing authorities. The solution has to involve more than just the housing authority. I agree with Senators who have said that a more holistic approach needs to be taken. It is vital that we fully address the health care and social supports required by homeless people. The HSE plays a critically important role in this area. As well as providing a national framework of policy, legislation and funding, my Department’s role with regard to homelessness is to ensure all the relevant parties come together to provide the integrated and holistic response required to deliver on the Government’s priority to end long-term involuntary homelessness.

As the Members of the House will be aware, a special forum on homelessness is being convened in the Custom House tomorrow afternoon. The Minister, Deputy Kelly, and I will attend meetings with the political and executive leaders of the Dublin local authorities and representatives of voluntary organisations working in the homeless area. I do not mean to be patronising when I acknowledge the work of the non-governmental organisations in the voluntary sector, the charities and everybody else who gives of their time to help homeless people in trying and difficult circumstances. That should always be acknowledged on the floor of this House and the other House. I commend everyone involved in this area. I reiterate on behalf of the Government, particularly the Minister, Deputy Kelly, and myself, that no stone will be left unturned in dealing with this issue, particularly as we approach Christmas. Tomorrow's forum will give us an opportunity to see what further collective actions can be taken by the Government, the housing authorities and the voluntary sector. We can achieve success by bringing together our collective resources, expertise and thinking and, more importantly, our actions and solutions. I have no doubt that if we work together, we can ensure we achieve our goal for the benefit of those who are most in need of our support.

I am encouraged by the proactive and positive approach that has been taken during this evening's debate. We all acknowledge that nothing is to be gained from political point-scoring. In 2007, when I was my party's spokesperson on the environment in this House - I was sitting where Senator Wilson is sitting now - I debated this issue with the former Minister of State, Michael Finneran. We had many homeless people on our streets at that time, as we have now. We must consistently and continually face up to the challenges we encounter not just as legislators and policy makers, but as a society. I welcome the suggestion that we should continuously evaluate and examine what we are doing, what is not working and what can work. I hope tomorrow's summit can be a benchmark in this regard. That will be the case if all sectors come together collectively to try to find the solutions we so badly want to achieve.