We heard the sad news today of the death late last week of a man called Paul Gorman in Dundalk. It seems the cause of death was that he had been sleeping out overnight and was exposed to the cold weather. We pass our thoughts and prayers to his family. Similarly, we heard yesterday that the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin increased by 50% to 140 in the past year. Those working in the area are concerned that does not fully reflect the level of the crisis in housing and homelessness facing us. There is talk that people are starting to sleep in tents in green areas in Dublin. This reflects the scale of the crisis. Tent cities will possibly grow up in the city unless we start to address this issue. There are over 5,000 people in emergency accommodation. Can the Taoiseach tell me that we will have space for those 140 people during the cold period in the year, and facing into the new year, so that no more people die of exposure from sleeping out? While emergency hostels are opening, they are not enough to deal with the crisis.

Second, and more important, what does the Taoiseach want to do to deal with the rent crisis, which is the underlying reason for the homelessness crisis? I know the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has a building plan, but that will take several years. It is matched with a support plan for the construction industry, which I fear will only make the rent and housing crises worse. What other measures will the Taoiseach consider? I see the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is here now and may be able to assist in the answer. Will we do as they do in Belgium when the temperature drops below a certain level and open up State buildings to make sure we do not have any shortfall, or will we do what Germany does by allowing rent increases mirror only what has happened in a particular area over the previous four years and restrict the level of rent increases - not allowing an increase above 20% - so that families are not forced into homelessness and emergency accommodation, or men and women forced to sleep rough? We are not doing enough. I know we have a constitutional right to the protection of property but the Constitution also imposes social duties. We are not treating this homelessness crisis with the severity that it needs, particularly the short-term crisis of people sleeping rough. What will the Taoiseach do this cold winter to avoid any further deaths on our streets?

This is a matter of priority for Government, specifically for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, and that is why a most comprehensive housing programme, including dealing with sleeping rough and homelessness in all its forms, has been central to what we are trying to do. This programme has serious backing from Government with over €5 billion on the table for the years ahead. That involves emergency shelters, expanded Housing First programmes, acquiring vacant housing, the returning to habitable use of voided units, exits from homelessness and so on. Additional emergency accommodation is being brought on stream in the Dublin region during the winter months. The Minister and the Government, as well as everybody else, would like to see that there is nobody on the streets this Christmas, as was achieved last year. Another 200 emergency beds are being provided for homeless people on the streets, bringing the number to 1,800. Given that the Dublin Region Homeless Executive estimates that there are approximately 115 rough sleepers, the additional bed spaces, coupled with the Housing First programme, will bring about an improvement in the situation here.

Deputy Ryan is aware that the Housing First programme means that for complex cases the services necessary to give them the opportunity to be able to live in a home are put around them. That will provide permanent, stable and supportive housing to long-term homeless individuals and thus reduce their reliance on emergency accommodation at any one time.

Under the Minister's programme, it is intended to triple the Housing First units in Dublin from 100 to 300. This has been very successful in other countries and is now something that is being implemented here with very beneficial results. The Housing Agency will acquire 1,600 vacant housing units in the period ahead.

Along with the provision of stable housing, health care services have a particular role to play in looking after homeless people. The Government has committed to providing that by way of allocating an extra €2 million to the HSE for these services in 2016 and a commitment to treble that to €6 million for 2017 and 2018. That means that those individuals will be able to receive a high level of support for their needs. They can access the range of health services and supports they require while living in the supported temporary accommodation or in long-term accommodation. Of that €2 million, €450,000 was given to the Peter McVerry Trust to support temporary accommodation on Charlemont Street for a further 10 beds. Some €450,000 was also allocated to Crosscare St. Mary's of Dorset Street, and €200,000 was allocated to Sophia Housing long-term accommodation on Seán McDermott Street, which is specifically aimed at focusing on homeless couples with complex needs. That additional funding will also provide four extra care staff there.

The programme for Government commits to step-down facilities after drug rehabilitation. That additional funding will also enhance GP services and so on. There is a great deal going on. I am sure that the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, would be happy to tell Deputy Ryan of the full range of initiatives and the progress that is being made in this area.

A great deal is going on but the problem is getting worse. The simple figure is that there has been a 50% increase in the past year in the number of people sleeping rough. I acknowledge that new centres are opening with 100 beds here and 70 beds there, but 5,000 people remain in emergency accommodation. In the Taoiseach's response, he did not address the fundamental underlying issue as I articulated it, that there is a rental crisis. What is different and unusual about the crisis, particularly in this city at this time, is that people are being forced into homelessness because rental prices are going up so dramatically that they cannot afford to stay in their accommodation. The Government should look at addressing that underlying problem by looking at other mechanisms of trying to restrict the rental increases in order that people are not forced out of their homes and to give renters the rights that we have so far failed to give them. I was amazed when listening to the debate on the Finance Bill in this House about the endless tax breaks and incentives we give to try to get the construction industry to develop. There was no mention of a vacant site levy being introduced ahead of schedule. There was no mention of a site value tax or other measures that might actually push the building industry to build, not just by-----

Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta.

-----giving them tax breaks, but by starting to give them obligations. What is the Taoiseach doing to address the main fundamental underliying problem in this, which is that renters-----

Thank you, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

-----in this city and this country have no rights? What additional powers does the Taoiseach think he could give them to avoid the fundamental cause of the problem?

The Taoiseach to respond.

The Minister will introduce a vacant site levy as soon as he can. By 9 December, there will be three new hostels open in Dublin with 210 extra beds. The new rental strategy will be presented to the Dáil in the next few weeks. That is based on security, supply, standards and services. This city is the most affected area but it is not the only place in which there is a homelessness problem, as Deputy Ryan is well aware. I am sure that he can get all of the detail from the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. The detail is extensive.

The problem has been exacerbated by the shortage of supply of proper accommodation and that is why Government has focused on the rough sleepers, the homeless, those in hotel rooms and bed and breakfasts and those who are becoming homeless because of elements of the rental strategy. All of these five pillars are proceeding together. It is the most extensive and comprehensive programme to deal with the housing shortage, housing supply, rough sleepers, homeless people and all other forms. We hope that this Christmas and this winter, there is nobody on the streets who is looking for a bed and that there is an opportunity in those very complex cases to continue the Housing First programme and bring them to a location in which the services can be provided around them to give them the opportunity of having their own place.