As the Minister knows, the Government spent almost three years working on a housing Bill, but we have no legislative underpinning for the cold weather initiative which lasts from November to March. A total of 140 people sleep on the streets and in parks, often with tragic consequences. Dublin City Council, where the Minister and I began our political careers, has approximately 20,000 families waiting for housing. In my constituency alone 4,000 or 5,000 are waiting. Some people have been waiting for up to 20 years. Given this situation, is it not incumbent on us to have an emergency public social housing programme such as the one the Minister advocated in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s? We need a sense of urgency.

I ask the Deputy for his co-operation.

Given his background, the Minister has a particular interest in the subject and I wonder whether he can have something expedited.

I share the Deputy's concerns about the housing difficulties which have become acute throughout the country but particularly in the Dublin area. The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, is bringing forward the heads of a housing Bill before the end of the year and it is hoped to have the Bill published and debated in the House no later than next spring.