Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise two issues. I wish to raise the same issue as my colleague about the homelessness crisis. The Minister is not listening. I can genuinely say that every few weeks I raise housing and he is not listening. In 2015 to 2016 there was a 50% increase in homelessness while at the same time the number of vacant properties is 260,000. I had a family in my clinic during the week. The mother has been trying to find out for months about the vacant house across the road from her. I have contacted the council and the banks and there is no information on vacant properties. Where does one go? The woman has a mortgage and she wants to buy a house. The house to which I referred is in her locality but nobody can tell her about it, who is responsible for it, be it the banks or whether it has been repossessed from a family. Until the Minister puts a regulation in place or introduces legislation to make people accountable then the situation will get worse.

On average, the rate of vacant properties around the country is 5% but in my area in Carlow the rate of vacant properties is highest at 15%. That is unacceptable. In addition, we do not meet the criteria for the new rent cap. We do not qualify. I brought that to the Minister's attention last week. I told him that local authorities in all counties need to come under the legislation that was introduced regarding rent caps. I urge the Leader to bring the issue to the attention of the Minister, who must come to the House.

The second issue relates to mental health. There has been a 60% cutback in the number of mental health beds available in Waterford. There were 14 beds and now there are only six. That is unacceptable. As it is, there is a queue. The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, must come to the House to address the matter. There is no need to cut mental health services. The combined population of Waterford and Wexford is 300,000 and it is unacceptable that eight beds are being closed.