Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

A number of Senators referred to NAMA's role in housing delivery. NAMA funding delivered 40% of the 3,259 new housing units in Dublin in 2014. During the first half of this year, the agency funded the delivery of 50% of new input in Dublin and is on track to deliver 4,500 units in the city by the end of 2016. Clearly, practical steps are being taken and we are seeing outputs. It is important that colleagues be informed when they contribute to this debate. As I said previously, I will look for a comprehensive debate on the issues of housing and homelessness which Senator Aideen Hayden, in particular, has sought for some time.

Senator Paul Coghlan referred to the Private Members' motion tabled by my Labour Party colleagues, Senators John Whelan and Denis Landy, calling on the Government to undertake a review of the State Claims Agency. There was consensus in the House on the need for such a review, given the distressing cases about which we had heard recently where families had been put through lengthy and arduous and confrontational litigation processes, which ended in settlements very late in the day. The State Claims Agency was supposed to address this ossie. As was said, it is good news for the House that following the debate, the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, committed to undertaking a review of the agency and how it handled claims. She also said the review would consider the introduction of a no fault system with particular principles and proposals that would not increase claim costs or the amounts paid in legal fees at the expense of deserving cases. I commend Senators John Whelan and Denis Landy for raising the issue. I worked with them in drafting the motion. It is the sort of motion that shows the Seanad at its best in terms of delivering change which we hope will follow the review announced by the Minister of State. It is welcome that she took it on board. Senator Sean D. Barrett also welcomed her response. He also noted the 150th anniversary of Magee College in Derry, which has 4,000 students. I am sure all Members will join him in wishing them every success and enjoyment of their celebrations next week. It provides a lesson in cross-community relations north of the Border.

Senator Aideen Hayden referred, again in eloquent terms, to the steps being taken in the construction of social housing. In particular, she noted Governor Honohan's point about the equity gap and the lack of access to finance for developers and the need to tackle this issue. She also referred to the ESRI's study of homelessness. I have addressed the steps being taken to tackle this issue. Clearly, it is a crisis and urgent measures need to be adopted.

Senator Denis O'Donovan raised the issues of homelessness and housing delivery by NAMA in the context of the budget.

Senator Michael D'Arcy called for a debate on the issue of domestic violence and, in particular, the report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality in this regard. I am happy to address that issue. The Senator also referred to the plight of the Yazidi community in the Middle East. I raised this issue during our debate on the situation in Syria with the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Sean Sherlock. Like the Senator, I heard the woman MP from the Yazidi community on radio this morning. She is the only Yazidi representative in the Iraqi Parliament. She spoke in graphic and distressing terms about the appalling abuses that were being perpetrated on her community and I have asked the Minister of State to make the community a priority in the allocation of Irish aid in the region and a priority when it comes to determining refugee status in our resettlement programme which is under way.

Senator Diarmuid Wilson also welcomed the SA motion and referred to the housing crisis, an issue I have addressed. He also asked me as leader of the Labour Party in the Seanad for my assessment of a general election announcement. I can only demonstrate the unity between Fine Gael and the Labour Party as I am ad idemwith the Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, on the issue. Earlier this week he said there would be another four months of sittings and that the general election would be held in February or March 2016.