Ms Fiona Barry:

Our experience in recent years has been that, as a result of the numbers of people coming into homeless services, cold weather facilities have not closed. Crosscare has been involved in a number of cold weather initiatives that subsequently became emergency facilities before reverting to cold weather facilities. Over time, owing to the numbers in the system, these facilities turned into supported temporary accommodation in which we were able to work actively with people to exit homelessness services.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan was probably referring to the John's Lane West facility. This is a slightly different case in that while the accommodation was opened as a cold weather facility, I am aware that there is a planning application on the building in question. While I cannot speak for the organisations involved, as long as the individuals who are staying in the service are provided with additional emergency accommodation, it will be good that the plot of land in question will be used to provide housing for people who are experiencing homelessness.

Again, it is a slightly different point. My point is about the quantity of quality emergency accommodation required. I would assume that at the beginning of the cold weather initiative there was hope that 101 people would move through the system and that the numbers coming in would not be as significant as they are. As I mentioned earlier, we have moved almost 200 people through that facility. If it was set up to move 101 people out, the fact that it has doubled that number is an achievement. The difficulty is the influx. On where we are now, as I pointed out earlier, the difficulty is in respect of who has the authority to sign off in terms of the use of the premises. If it was not to happen again, obviously there is a need for more security in regard to the term of the lease. Given that it is a State-owned facility, I would have assumed that the two Departments would talk to each other and the issue would be resolved. It seems unusual that one Department would contribute to the numbers of rough sleepers and that another Department would try to solve the issue. I do not know if what I have said answers that aspect of the question.

Staffing and social workers were mentioned. We work with people who have complex mental health and medical issues right across the sector, particularly those who are in services for a longer period. They are in services for longer because they are becoming the less visible. The families and those who are newly homeless are able to move out of services quicker while those with more complex needs are stuck in services. I speak on behalf of those services that I know in Dublin where there are trained workers who work on assessments. There is a full pathways-to-home model in which all staff are trained in terms of providing holistic needs assessments and an absolute focus on exits to homelessness. Where we all need additional resources is in terms of mental health workers because the mental health impact on people who are experiencing homelessness is very intense. Given that they have their homes, there is that whole sense of grief and bereavement around losing their home and isolation and loss of their community. We see a significant number of people who are in contact with our homeless services taking their own lives.

While I cannot speak for other organisations, Crosscare has seen a significant number of medical discharges directly into homelessness. While there is a plan to implement a national discharge policy, it has not been rolled out. It is still on the Dublin Region Homeless Executive's plan for implementation this year but I am aware there have been difficulties in trying to role out that plan. Sometimes even talking about cases brings the issue home. We have heard unbelievable stories about people being discharged from hospital. One of our services in Crosscare had a woman who was discharged who was told she was going to die within a couple of weeks. She came into our services with no palliative care. We had no information around how she was going to die and our staff team found her dead. That is the fourth medical death we have had from a hospital discharge since Christmas. In terms of that policy from the HSE and the point I made earlier about restoration of funding levels for the executive, specifically focusing on homeless services is absolutely paramount. While our staff are trained in assessment and working with people out of homes - some services to a greater or lesser extent have medical staff - we do not have medical staff on our teams 24 hours a day. Given that the people with whom we are working have complex addiction issues and mental health issues, we really require that right across the sector.

I might allow someone else contribute at this point but I may be able to come back in again later in respect of the question on foreign nationals.