The Government strategy to tackle the housing crisis, announced by the Minister, Deputy Kelly, at Christmas, is clearly failing. New families are reporting to homeless services every day. People are still sleeping rough and there is still no sign of a major house building programme. The Government promised to end homelessness by 2016 which is now an absolute pipedream. In the forthcoming housing Bill, will the Government include a range of measures and put some urgency on the matter? Will there even be a debate on this in the Dáil now or in the near future? What is happening is an absolute calamity.

I thank the Deputy.

People come to my clinics every day reporting problems, in particular for families. Single individuals are being looked after to some degree, but the problem has reached epidemic proportions for families.

I understand the legislation may be later this year. The protocol I mentioned in response to earlier questions from the Sinn Féin deputy leader is working very well and has now been extended throughout the country.

It is not working.

As the Deputy knows, we have committed €4 billion, probably the largest amount of funding in the history of the State, to a social house building programme. That will be critical in addressing the kind of housing need about which the Deputy is speaking.