I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 600 together.
The Programme for a Partnership Government has committed to addressing the housing shortage and homelessness, and is committed to publishing, within the first 100 days, a new Action Plan for Housing which will contain a specific section on preventing homelessness.
The accommodation referred to in the Questions is located in a warehouse property owned by the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA), which operates under the aegis of my Department. My predecessor granted his consent to grant a lease, including two extensions thereto, to Dublin City Council (DCC) to use the vacant warehouse as a temporary cold weather emergency facility.
Any extension of the lease on the property is a matter for DCC and the DHDA in the first instance. I understand that DCC and DHDA are in discussions about the possibility of further extending the term of the lease, and I will consider any related request for Ministerial consent as a matter of priority.