Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I seek a debate on the Government's approach to tackling homelessness in the capital. A recent article in The Sunday Timesreported on the number of voluntary groups involved in the provision of food services in Dublin, which was approximately 27. This has even led to argument among the organisations over prime locations. Were these all self-funded ventures, the duplication of service would not be any of our business. However, it is the remit of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE, to co-ordinate the efforts of the four Dublin councils to combat homelessness. The DRHE spent roughly €159 million last year and the Government has spent close to €1 billion on homeless services from 2013 to 2020. Homelessness is clearly not an issue that will be resolved by throwing money at it. The largest of these charities took in over €56 million last year with €30 million of that coming directly from the State. The State has a duty to ensure such money is being spent in rehousing homeless persons in a sustainable manner rather than enabling individuals to remain on the street.

Is there something to be said for the centralisation of homeless services either in the DRHE or another statutory body established with the goal of eliminating homelessness? The sheer volume of volunteers we have who are willing to work in this area is testament to their hearts being in the right place but the system in which they work may not be right. Yesterday, Mr. Justice O’Moore gave an order to wind up Inner City Helping Homeless and appointed Mr. Kieran Wallace as permanent liquidator. While the circumstances which led to this outcome do not reflect on other charities working in the area of homelessness, perhaps it should give us cause to think about the structure through which the Government seeks to operate. Perhaps it is not a lack of funding which has lengthened Dublin's homelessness crisis but a refusal to go back to the drawing board in regard to how we set about tackling the issue as a whole.

On a separate issue, I spoke a couple of weeks ago about my home parish of Denn. This weekend, they actually won the junior championship in County Cavan. It was lovely to see the brother of one of the people who committed suicide taking the cup on behalf of the team. It was a lovely, joyous occasion for the parish.