It is admirable that Senator Darragh O'Brien went quietly to the Garda to give the evidence he has, although a cynic might say he should have gone to the fraud squad in the first place.

To give some good news, there has been a reduction in the number of calls to Samaritans which it states is due to increased hope in the country. It is worth noting this. We all feel for people who find themselves on the brink of despair and it is good to know we are turning the corner in that regard.

I welcome the announcement that the Taoiseach and his British counterpart, Mr. David Cameron, will visit the Irish war graves in France. It is a particularly welcome announcement given that this year is the centenary of the 1913 Lock-out and next year is the centenary of the start of the war in 1914. Many of the people who went to the front in 1914, particularly people from Dublin, did so because they were living in extreme poverty. Many families were touched by the fact that their loved ones could never receive the acknowledgement they deserved for the role they played in the First World War. Some families changed their names so they would not be targeted when their soldiers returned from the front. The announcement is a very welcome development.

Has the Senator visited the sites?

I have.

Good.

We were the first members of our family to visit the grave of a great-uncle.

Most of my Fianna Fáil colleagues have also visited them, me included.

Senator Aideen Hayden to continue, without interruption.

It is something we must come to terms with as a nation. Both leaders visiting the graves will be a step in the right direction. Many people from the Dublin tenements found themselves in the British army because of their extreme poverty.

My question for the Leader is about housing. I do not wish to sound like the prophet of doom, but at this time next year we will be tackling one of the most serious housing crises this country has ever experienced, including during the 1930s through to the 1960s. We have just received an assessment of housing need which shows 90,000 families on the housing waiting lists. Numerous organisations, including Threshold, state the number of people presenting as homeless has doubled owing to their inability to access appropriate housing. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate early in the new year on an overall housing strategy to tackle the issues of housing supply and how to protect housing for vulnerable and low-income families.