Official Opening at Bond’s Hill, Londonderry  - 18 November 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen - good afternoon.

I should like to begin by thanking Liz and the Board of Ulidia Housing Association for inviting me here today, to re-launch Bond’s Hill hostel in this fine new building.

We have just heard the ‘Journey of Bond’s Hill’ and a truly remarkable journey it has been.  The previous hostel served its purpose well and provided a valuable service in its time, but it had come to the end of its useful life. I am pleased that my Department and the Housing Executive have been able to provide the capital and revenue funding for this new, modern, state of the art accommodation, which is providing better facilities and better support for all who live here.  I have already been shown around and have been most impressed by what I have seen.

Ulidia provided the bricks and mortar here and you are to be commended for your expertise in developing what must have been a fairly difficult site.  

I also want to applaud the excellent work being done by the Simon Community in providing the support and services required on a daily basis, to help some of our most vulnerable citizens.

My Department has a lead role in tackling homelessness and I am only too aware of the many risks of this damaging experience.  Not having a home, for whatever reason, is a traumatic event in anyone’s life.  

The experience of being homeless can have a huge impact on a person’s well being and life chances.  It can affect educational attainment, employment prospects or ability to participate in the community.  

That is why accommodation and support like this is so important.  The New Housing Agenda is all about delivering opportunity and choice for those who need it most.  I believe passionately that my focus has to be on the most vulnerable members of our society.  

They most need our help and intervention, and that is why I will continue to say that my first and foremost priority is to deliver more and more social housing.

Ulidia and the Simon Community are owed an enormous debt for bringing projects such as this to fruition and I am pleased to be here today to put that on record.  To each and every person involved, I offer my thanks for a job well done.

I also want to say, to you the residents, thank you for allowing me into your homes today.  I give you all my best wishes, and trust that in the not too distant future, you will be able to move on to more permanent accommodation of your own, and just as importantly make use of the support you have received here, to move forward to a better future.

Before declaring this scheme officially open, if I may, I should like now to turn to another issue that I have been considering for some time and I would like to take this opportunity to make an announcement.

Another vulnerable group who historically have had difficulty in accessing suitable housing are Irish Travellers.  Derry City Council Area has a proud record of accommodating this minority group, so it is appropriate that I choose to make this announcement here.     

You may be aware that I had intended to transfer responsibility for the provision and management of Travellers transit sites to the new local councils being established in 2011, under the Review of Public Administration.

I saw this function as one that would increase and complement existing council services.  However, I have listened carefully to the arguments put by NILGA and the Housing Council who have an in-depth understanding of this issue and I am now persuaded that they are right when they say that responsibility for Travellers’ transit sites should remain with a central authority – in this case the Housing Executive.