It was obviously a flawed model from day one, but that does not allow the Government off the hook. The health service is in crisis and we need a debate on the issue immediately.

I call for a debate on the issue of homelessness. The figures provided by Focus Ireland are stark and startling. A total of 16 families a month are becoming homeless and there has been an 18% increase in the number seeking support, to 9,237 so far this year, which is 1,500 more than last year. We are subject to a great deal of spin on how everything is turning around, green shoots, etc. but many people are in dire straits, particularly those who are finding it hard to keep a roof over their heads and meet their everyday bills. We need to consider more constructive ways of supporting them. A debate on the issue of homelessness is vital to allow us to put forward our thoughts on how this might be done. I would welcome such a debate in the near future.

I also raise the issue of the increasing numbers of people becoming homeless. Ahead of Focus Ireland's annual conference today, it highlighted an 18% increase in the number seeking support in the first ten months of the year. More significantly, there has been a 50% increase in the number presenting as homeless in the greater Dublin area and a doubling of the number of families presenting as homeless. The four organisations behind the MakeRoom campaign are seeking an end to long-term homelessness. Threshold, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Simon have all reported an increase in the number presenting as homeless. A recent report from the citizen information centres highlighted that one of the emerging issues was that the profile of those presenting as homeless, which would more typically have been single men and persons experiencing substance and alcohol abuse and so forth, had changed and that more families were presenting.

That has changed and far more families are presenting as homeless. The issue that is being highlighted by all of the organisations is that a housing problem is now influencing the number of people presenting as homeless. From Threshold's access housing unit I am aware of the significant difficulty in finding proper accommodation for people who are homeless and getting them out of the situation they are in.

I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, on having protected the budget for homeless services this year, but the difficulty is that there are greater calls on the resource and a significant increase in the number of people presenting as homeless. I ask that she be invited to come to the House to discuss the increasing numbers presenting as homeless and how we can guarantee housing supply for vulnerable people.