asked the Minister for the Environment the reason for the delay in introducing the long promised Housing Bill, which was to deal, among other issues, with the problems of the homeless; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Bill.
7.
I hope to be in a position to introduce shortly a Housing Bill which will include provisions regarding homelessness. In advance of the publication of this legislation, the Deputy will be aware that the Government are making available an additional £3 million over the next three years to assist the provision of accommodation for homeless persons by voluntary bodies.
Could the Minister give us a specific date, or as near that as possible, for the introduction of this Bill? He will be aware that over the past year we have had, I think, 14 or 15 assurances from various spokespersons that the Bill will be introduced, or reintroduced. Could he say whether it could be brought in more quickly if other extraneous matters were not introduced into the Bill and if he dealt solely with the question of homelessness?
The Deputy is going to get the same assurance now. The House will have the Homeless Persons Bill. The great reason for not having it before now was that there was not much point in having legislation unless it was backed up with money. It comes down to that. I am happy now that the money is there to do something positive. Now is the time for the legislation to appear.
Would the Minister not agree that on eight previous occasions in his capacity as Minister for the Environment he has assured the House that the legislation would be forthcoming soon, or in the near future, or as soon as practicable. This is the ninth occasion, for which I congratulate him. Does he not agree that there is a critical need for legislation to define precisely what we mean by homelessness before taxpayers' money can be spent in the manner of £1 million this year and a subsequent £2 million over the next two years?
The two things come together; the Deputy is quite right. The money was necessary, as were the definitions. There was also an adjustment which I wished to make in so far as aid to voluntary bodies was concerned, in that up to now they have had to put up 20 per cent of the capital cost which they found difficult to make provision for regarding special accommodation for homeless persons. I have increased the Government's contribution from 80 per cent to 95 per cent of the cost of the new accommodation. There are some other changes also. I was anxious to get that in place and to have money afforded to it which would make it possible to do something positive rather than just talk about it. It is very interesting that somebody who has a very great knowledge in this matter — and I should not name names here — a Sister whom we all know well, did state in January of this year that if the day ever came when there was a Minister for the Environment who had the courage to provide £1 million per year to deal with the homeless the problem would be solved. I should like to think that that Minister has arrived.
I am hoping that the problem will be solved.
Would the Minister clarify how it is possible to allocate £1 million to voluntary organisations at this time when we do not have a legislative definition of what a homeless person is?
Exactly.
How are the voluntary bodies going to be selected for receipt of this money? Could the Minister indicate whether existing projects will be funded from this money, or if it will require totally new projects in order to be eligible to receive it?
I take it that the Deputy would like existing projects or those in course of construction to be considered favourably. That is a fair point. I did take the opportunity, as I am sure the Deputy is aware, as indicated by the Minister for Finance, of giving £50,000 to Arran Quay for the Focus Point project there, as an indication of the kind of project that should be supported. I agree that there are very many voluntary organisations which are anxious to get money and they are not going to be denied it.
They are not going to get much of it, either.
On the question of the definition of homelessness, this is a legislative matter and it will be included in the legislation. I do not want the Deputy to have to be asking for the tenth time, if it is the tenth time. He can be assured that my commitment to introduce legislation is no less strong. In fact, now I feel somewhat more confident of getting an easier passage of the Bill because I have given some money to deal with the total package.
Thirty houses a year is not a million dollar Bill. Let us not run away on the million dollar bit.
Wait a moment, now. I know that the Deputy has knowledge in this area, but those who are involved in dealing with it on the ground——
Thirty houses — a million dollar Minister?
Those who are on the ground dealing with this matter say that this is the first break-through effort of a really positive nature and we go along with it except in so far as this city is concerned, where the biggest problem for the homeless exists. There is another interesting point in so far as the question of the kind of accommodation is concerned. Perhaps that is what Deputy De Rossa was referring to. The accommodation does not necessarily have to be fully self-contained. There will be a possibility for funding voluntary organisations which offer hostel type accommodation. That is positive.
While the Minister is beginning to feel like a knight in shining armour with his £1 million, he is obviously only hearing what he wishes to hear. There are many others saying that that £1 million was taken off the housing aid for the elderly——
Several millions.
——which had been given for the last number of years. First, has the Minister a policy for the whole country in relation to the spending of this money? As my colleague says, it will not go very far, anyway. Are we going to have money spent in the near future?
The answer to both of those questions is yes. It would be applied throughout the country and spent.
One house for each county.
That is what it amounts to. We would like to help the Minister.
It is £3 million.
Over three years.
I want to dissuade the Members from debating this proposed measure now. I am going on to another question.
I would like to give a great deal more to the homeless, but I have to recognise the demands on the Department. Also, I have to recognise that those on the ground say to me that this will make a real contribution towards relieving the problem.
They are obviously not homeless.