Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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236. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when he will ensure that all homeless families and children are rehoused from emergency accommodation in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39519/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The long-term solution to homelessness is to increase the supply of homes. A range of measures are being progressed in this regard under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnesswhich was launched in July 2016 and provides a multi-stranded, action-oriented approach to achieving the Government’s key housing objectives, including tackling homelessness in a comprehensive manner. Rebuilding Irelandfully recognises that the period of time that families spend in emergency hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation should be minimised.

This is reflected in the commitment that by mid-2017, hotels should only be used in limited circumstances for emergency accommodation for families. It is intended that this will be achieved by meeting their housing needs through the enhanced Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and general housing allocations, and by providing new supply to be delivered through an expanded Rapid Build Housing Programme and a Housing Agency initiative to acquire vacant houses.