I certainly agree with you on that, a Cheann Comhairle. The Dublin Simon Community launched its annual review today. The report on the worsening statistics regarding housing need is an indictment of the Government. There are 5,000 citizens in temporary shelter throughout the State, including 1,500 children. There are nearly 2,300 people in emergency accommodation in this city, including almost 1,300 children, and the number of homeless children in Dublin has increased by 63%. The Taoiseach may note that the Simon Community has rightly described this as a humanitarian crisis.

Last Christmas, the Taoiseach made much of his time on the streets meeting those citizens living rough and at risk following the death of Jonathan Corrie, who died on a doorway opposite this Chamber. The failure of Government policy is evident in the reality that there are now more citizens sleeping rough today than there were when Jonathan Corrie died. That is the reality and the consequence of Government policy.

Throughout the State there are 130,000 citizens seeking a home. Almost 5,000 of these live my constituency of Louth. Throughout the State there has been an increase of 40,000 in the past four years since the Taoiseach came into Government. This housing crisis is by no means confined to Dublin. Waterford has seen a 74% rise in the number of people presenting as homeless in the first eight months of this year. This humanitarian crisis is a direct result of Government policies. There is a chronic lack of social and affordable housing. The Government has built only a fraction of the social housing needed. The Government has refused to tackle rising rents or rent uncertainty. It has refused to remove the veto from the banks. How bad does the crisis have to get before the Government takes appropriate and urgent action?

I thank Deputy Adams for raising a matter that is of concern to a great number of people throughout the country. Deputy Adams is right. This is not a good situation or one that one can say is by any means satisfactory.

Last winter I walked the streets of Dublin with the then Lord Mayor on a number of occasions to deal with the homeless people who were sleeping rough. The Government responded on that occasion by providing extra money for the agencies and to provide extra beds, and by opening the night café, as well as by making arrangements whereby the vast majority of people who were then rough sleepers in Dublin - except those who really wanted to be on the streets - were housed and given an opportunity to have a bed at night.

The situation has been exacerbated now because of other homeless families. As Deputy Adams points out, 3,372 adults were using state-funded emergency accommodation during a particular week in August of this year. Those figures identified 707 families, consisting of 959 adults and 1,496 dependants. This is not a satisfactory situation. It will not be solved until we increase the supply of accommodation.

When is the Government doing that?

The figure to deal with homeless situation in Dublin in 2015 was €37.16 million. By the end of August, €33.4 million of that money had been spent. Further moneys have been committed but not actually paid out.

There are a number of things that are happening, but they are not dealing with the matter to the extent that one would like. On the social housing front, the Government has put forward €4 billion to be spent between now and 2020. Furthermore, the allocation of local authority tenancies has been increased, and 50% must go to homeless people on the direction of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. That is to apply until 31 January 2016, when it will be reviewed. Second, money has been made available to restore unliveable houses, or voids, as they are called. A total of 500 have been brought back into use in 2015. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, has committed the additional funding for that. Third, the expert group set up to look at social housing and homelessness looked at this on an individual basis to oversee the delivery of a NAMA property, an apartment block in south Dublin which is now operating a 65-unit accommodation facility.

The question of modular housing was raised at the Cabinet sub-committee on a number of occasions. As people will be aware, presentations of different types of modular unit are now available. That will be followed through at Dublin City Council. In addition, the extension of the housing assistance payment to homeless people as a pilot scheme has brought in a further 50 people.

To be straight about this, we cannot deal with it in a satisfactory way until more blocks and concrete are used to build houses. Some 21,000 units in Dublin have planning permission but there has been no movement in respect of them. In some cases, builders acquired land at very costly prices and expect the taxpayer to make up the difference between its value now and its estimated value in the past. Yesterday, the Ministers for Finance and the Environment, Community and Local Government mandated their senior people to examine a range of extra options to deal with the homelessness crisis. The situation is not satisfactory and I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. It is one which cannot be resolved until we provide more housing units and accommodation. We are working very hard on this matter.

Provide them after four and a half years.

I am starting to form an opinion around some of these scandalous crises, namely, that it is Government policy. I am of the view that it is Government policy to have people on hospital trolleys. If something happens once or twice or for one month or two months, it must be policy. The Simon Community and other advocacy groups have proved that the homelessness crisis has worsened. Focus Ireland has stated that rising rents and static rent supplement payments are causing homelessness in families, 90% of which were never before homeless. Many are also being made homeless by landlords selling properties to take advantage of rising property prices.

A citizen has the right to a home. The Government needs to completely change the manner-----

A question, please.

-----in which it views tenants. They are citizens with basic rights, not cash cows for private landlords. Instead of trying to solve the housing crisis, the approach of the Minister, Deputy Kelly, has been to support landlords and the owners of private rented accommodation. In his response, the Taoiseach acknowledged that not enough houses have been built. He said we cannot deal with this matter in a satisfactory way until more houses are built. I did not need to put a question to him to be told that. I asked him when he would take appropriate and urgent action.

I remind the Taoiseach that he has refused to tackle rising rents - that is policy. He has refused to tackle rent uncertainty - that is policy. He has refused to remove the veto from the banks - that is policy. He has refused to build enough social housing - that is policy. When will he change his policy? Dublin City Council has a shortfall of €16 million. Will the Taoiseach change his policy and build the necessary homes for citizens who deserve them in order to deal with the crisis?

It is not actually a question of problems with money.

Stop.

The Government will be making available €4 billion between now and 2020. Councils and local authorities-----

The Government cut back €1.2 billion between 2008 and now.

Will the Deputy stay quiet, please?

-----have been given their mandates and targets and told to get on with the job. As stated, 21,000 units in Dublin have full planning permission but there has been no movement in respect of them because of either the cost of levies or the fact that there are other problems.

They cannot get money.

In respect of the rent position, Deputy Adams is aware that, on an individual basis, rent supplement can be increased for a family where there is an issue with a landlord moving them on or increasing their rent, which will result in their becoming homeless.

They are not doing that.

That is not happening.

They are looking for €400 or €500 extra a month.

Will Deputies stay quiet, please?

There is not a problem with money here. All of these cases can be dealt with on an individual basis and quite a number are now being dealt with in that manner. As I said, the Minister decided that half of the housing accommodation being allocated by local authorities for tenancies should go to homeless people. Families in Dublin, Cork, Waterford or anywhere else that have a problem with landlords increasing their rent and moving them out can have their problem dealt with through their rent supplement being increased, on an individual basis, by the Department of Social Protection. It is happening and people need to be informed of the facility. It is not a permanent solution by any means, but it means that people can have continued tenancy in their existing accommodation for a further period. That facility is available tonight and will be available tomorrow. It is not a question of money. Each case can be dealt with in the context of the individual circumstances.