The homeless crisis continues to spiral out of control. Every day families with children and single people continue to present as homeless. Rising rents, increased repossessions and the lack of social housing are forcing scores of adults and hundreds of children out of their homes. Following the tragic death of Mr. Jonathan Corrie in December, the Government press office went into overdrive in announcing measures which it was stated would stem the crisis. Today we learn that despite the provision in Dublin of an additional 300 emergency beds, there is still no spare capacity. Some 1,692 adults were sleeping in emergency accommodation in Dublin on New Year's Eve, the highest number in years. The problem is now so bad that there is a waiting list for family emergency accommodation in Dublin. As many as 80 families, with hundreds of children, are waiting to be placed in emergency accommodation, some of whom have been waiting for accommodation for months. In some cases, they have been forced to squat in homes when their notice to quit expired. They are being forced to sleep in cars or split up for days, weeks or months, with children being separated from their parents. They are being forced into low threshold hostels or hotel rooms, which environments are totally unsuited to children.

Despite all of the Government's high profile announcements, it is failing to stem the flow of families into homelessness. What families at risk of homelessness want to know is when will rent controls be introduced. When will adequate emergency accommodation be provided, including family accommodation, for those who are homeless? When will the Government start to release the promised funding for local authorities to commence construction of the homes that communities so desperately need?

The Deputy will be aware that prior to Christmas, the Government launched an action plan to address homelessness. As discussed previously, not all of the beds provided were taken up before Christmas. However, once the new year arrived, there was a significant increase in the take-up of these beds. Under the action plan, an additional 271 beds were put in place. The number and availability of emergency beds continue to be closely monitored, particularly by Dublin City Council within the area of which the bulk of emergency beds are provided.

There are no beds available from Friday to Tuesday.

As per the Minister's commitment, additional beds will be brought on stream should the need arise. The Government shares this commitment. The Minister recently updated the Cabinet on how the protocol had worked. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to all of the voluntary and advocacy organisations which worked on this issue with officials of the local authorities and the Department. I am sure the Deputy is aware that the teams dealing with the emergency housing and homelessness problems have been meeting on a regular basis to review what has been achieved under the pre-Christmas initiative. Initiatives such as the night café and transport provision have been very successful. In recent weeks I have been engaged in discussions on the problems that have arisen in some hostels. I understand the Deputy who raised the issue has been in contact with the manager of the homeless services about the specific situation that arose.

The Government is determined, should additional capacity be required, to provide it.

It is required.

As I said, once the new year arrived, the number seeking a bed increased. This was not the case before Christmas, at which time some people, including in the media, were talking about vacancies. Should additional capacity be required, it will be provided.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald also asked about the provision of additional accommodation and the protocol in this regard. The needs of a significant number of people, particularly families but also including individuals, have been addressed under the protocol. As part of the budget, an ambitious €2.2 billion investment in housing was announced. Detailed regular meetings are ongoing between the Dublin local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on the implementation of the social housing investment plan which is under way.

Two of the Tánaiste's remarks were very revealing in terms of the Government's attitude and approach to the housing and homelessness crisis. First, she said the Government would commit to doing more "should" additional capacity be required. Lest she and her colleagues in government are unaware, there is an absolute and urgent need for additional capacity. As I set out, this is particularly the case in respect of families with children who find themselves homeless. I have spelled out - I hope the Tánaiste was listening and heard me - the circumstances in which many families find themselves. In some cases, parents sleep in their car, while their children stay on either side of Dublin city with relatives or friends. Some families have been in this situation for weeks and others for months. There is no "should" in this equation. It is an imperative and a must.

Second, there is the Tánaiste's reference to beds. Of course, there is a need for emergency beds and to address the phenomenon of rough sleeping, but what people need, particularly families, are homes. This is about houses, permanent accommodation to allow people the certainty and dignity of having a roof over their heads. Far from being blameless in this scenario, the current crisis is of the Government's own making. Let us look at its record. Despite all of the recent announcements, since taking office, the Government has cut funding for social housing by 25%.

A question, please.

The Government introduced the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act in 2013 which has led to a tenfold increase in the numbers of repossession cases lodged with the courts. The Government has failed to get the banks to meet their mortgage lending targets. It has failed to control the spiralling costs of rent because it will not introduce rent controls. It has failed to invest in appropriate emergency accommodation, especially for families. That is the Government's record. No amount of activity or propaganda from the Government's press office can change that.

The families waiting for emergency accommodation, those on the homeless lists and those not on the homeless list but who have to sleep in the box room of their mother’s house with their three kids - I am sure we all meet them at our constituency clinics - want to know when the Government will take a hold of these matters and fulfil its responsibilities. They want to know when the Government will produce the funding for social housing. The local authorities still have no word as to what their housing budgets will be and will not know until March or April, an outrageous situation. What is the Government going to do in the here and now? I am not talking about press releases or propaganda but action.

The Deputy has asked three separate questions. First, she asked about homelessness and the pre-Christmas initiative for those who are homeless and using emergency hostel accommodation. In all fairness, I answered that question. I said that before Christmas not all of the beds were used but, once the new year arrived, they were. I also said should more beds be needed, they will be provided. I gave a commitment to the Deputy as did the Minister and the Government. That has nothing to do with public relations. Most of us know the people in question have difficulties in their personal lives, issues around substances and, in some cases, mental health issues. In all fairness, I answered the first part of the Deputy’s question.

She then added two supplementary questions, one about families. Since the protocol in operation with organisations such as Threshold has been initiated, it has assisted 400 families in getting or retaining accommodation. To emphasise for anyone listening to this debate, if a family or an individual fear they are at risk of becoming homeless because, say, the landlord may have raised the rent, if they contact Threshold, their local authority or their community welfare service, they will be able to discuss what appropriate assistance can be given. I already said to the Deputy that I sat down last week with staff from my Department to assess how the protocol is working.

Will the assistance be given? I have three cases.

They go to the local authorities and they are out on the waiting list.

The Deputy asked questions and, in all fairness, I have given her the answers.

Her third question was on rent control. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, is reviewing it to see if it is possible to bring in rent certainty into how rents are structured, a move which I strongly support. This is detailed work which will require levels of regulation and possibly legislation. There are landlords who are arbitrarily seeking to raise rents by very large amounts, way in excess of market prices.

Yes, most of them.

We have been talking about that for years.

I have listened to people suggesting raising rents is the way to deal with the issue. The Government has launched the largest ever social housing investment programme in the budget.

We are talking about today.

That will only provide 1,400 units.

The Deputy asked from where the money will come? The money has been provided in the budget.

No, the budgets need to be given to the local authorities.

The local authorities have to make detailed plans for social housing. Many Members were members of local authorities in the past and know the local authorities must identify the land on which social housing will be built. If that land is ready to go, then they have to bring those plans to the fore as quickly as possible and get building under way. That is what they have been tasked to do by the Government. I encourage Deputies from all parties to encourage their members on local authorities to support the construction of local authority social housing.

What have Labour councillors been doing for the past three years on those councils?

They have been doing more than Fianna Fáil councillors did for the past 20 years.

Labour will not have many councillors the way it is going.

Recently in Fingal County Council, some councillors, apparently on the left, voted against the provision of social housing.

Hear, hear.

What about the developers who brought in a couple of hundred thousand euro to the local authority to help buy Deputy Finian McGrath out?

What about Deputy Finian McGrath’s deal with Bertie?

Finian bocht.