Social housing strategy
Richard Boyd Barrett asks when the promised social-housing strategy and debate will be provided amid continuing homelessness. The Taoiseach says the document should go to Cabinet the following week and then be brought before the House.
While I understand the Government is distracted with the unprecedented popular revolt against water charges which has engulfed it -----
Comment on this
Does the crisis facing the Government mean that it has changed the promised schedule for bringing forward the other important publication on social housing strategy promised by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government? It was promised before the recent recess that we would have the document and a debate in the House on a crisis that continues. Families are being made homeless on a daily basis because of the failure to address the issue. The Taoiseach promised on several occasions that we would have the document and a discussion on the Government's policy for dealing with this most severe of crises. When is that going to happen?
Comment on this
We discussed this issue at the Cabinet sub-committee yesterday. I will let the Deputy have that piece of information. I expect the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, to bring the document to the Cabinet next week and then the Deputy will have it. We will stand by this promise, at least. He will have his discussion and the opportunity to say his piece. The Minister is very interested in seeing to it that the housing situation, in so far as we can impact on it, will be impacted on in the shortest possible time, including voids, social housing and other stimuli through the construction sector.