Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the Peter McVerry Trust and the work it does. I commend the Government on having approved yesterday the advancement of €15 million to the trust for the homeless. Homelessness is very obvious and in our face, but it also feeds into deprivation, social isolation and many of the other issues that propagate disquiet within our community. It is important, therefore, that the Government has acknowledged this. The Department does not normally directly fund homelessness charities; that funding usually comes through the local authority structures.

We have to acknowledge the enormous work the trust has undertaken. Long before it was at the top of all the political agendas, Fr. McVerry and the trust he set up, from which he has since stood back somewhat, have done amazing work. It is involved in promoting and a just system for people who are homeless and advocating for them, and in being a first point of contact for people on the ground, so I acknowledge that important work. It was right that the Government supported it by providing the €15 million to get it going. It is, as I understand, conditional for the Minister and rightly so. It is true the charity has run into corporate governance and cash flow issues but the bottom line is the trust is doing good work and is collaborating with local authorities, not only in Dublin but throughout the country. It is commendable that the Government is stepping in. I know there was some resistance to the funding being given to the charity but that is the decision the Cabinet has made. It is the right decision and it is important we acknowledge that fact, but there has to be more robust corporate governance for the charity and I understand that is a condition of the funding.I wish the charity well. I hope it gets back on its feet. I hope it builds confidence again and continues to do its outreach work. It is great that the Government is fully supporting it albeit with the conditionality about corporate governance. I say, "Well done" to all involved who made that happen.