Ms Karen McHugh:

The SafeHome model involves working with people who are abroad before they come back and we have a very good process in place. If someone who comes back has come through us and worked with us at all stages of the process, we do not encounter as many difficulties. That is a matter of resources perhaps. If more resources were available for those who are abroad and want to come back, they would know they could get the support. People might come across SafeHome, Crosscare or the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas by accident, but we have everything done before our qualifying housing applicants get back here. As such, they can get into the system. They will have a personal public service number and a medical card ready to go. They will have housing and a housing assistance payment if that is required. We work quite well on the GDPR issue. We have a standard GDPR fact sheet and consent form for every single applicant. We get our applicants to fill those in across the board. Our major concerns is around people in vulnerable and crisis situations who are left in hardship because of that, whatever category they fall under.