Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In all of the euphoria surrounding the budget, I want to put on the record moneys that should have gone into social housing over the past number of years, particularly during the tenure of this Government. The leader of our party raised the question of homelessness in the other House today and noted that nothing significant had been done about it. In fact, the figures prove there is something radically wrong with the Government's priorities in this regard. There has been a massive fall in funding for local authority housing, voluntary housing co-operatives and private housing grants. In fact, in 2009 the annual figure for local authorities was €670 million, which fell to €88.5 million this year.

When the Government took over in 2011 the figure for local authority housing funding was €189 million, which was down from the previous two-year high of €670 million. During the period of office of the Government, a further reduction took place. The funding decreased drastically from €417 million in 2010 to €189 million in 2011. There were corresponding reductions across the voluntary sector, particularly the voluntary and co-operative housing area, which has proven to be a very significant contributor to the provision of social housing in Ireland, whereby funding of €158 million was reduced to a measly €34 million this year.

They are the realities of the figures facing the Government. The Taoiseach said it is not about money, but despite the spin the Government is putting on how wonderful everything is and the money that is being allocated, if we really want to tackle this serious issue we need to consider the money being made available. If €670 million was provided in 2009 and only €88.5 million has been allocated this year, that has to have an effect on local authority priorities throughout the country in terms of what spending they have to address homelessness. Examining the funding mechanism should be an urgent priority for the Government.

It has been said that the Government is dishing out money left, right and centre. The fact that some people this very night, particularly children, will not have a bed in their own home is a national scandal. According to figures provided by our party leader in the Dáil today, some 50 or 60 people will be made homeless every month. That is happening in modern Ireland, where the spin over the past 24 hours has been about how wonderful everyone in government is and how great things are, and that we should all be down on our knees thanking the Government.

I wish to finish on a somewhat lighter note and endorse the birthday wishes of Senator Heffernan to his mum. We share the same date - I emphasise the word "date". Perhaps she does not know this, but we share the date of 14 October with some very distinguished people, not least Sir Cliff Richard and Éamon de Valera.