Ms Rebecca Keatinge:

I thank Deputy Barry and Senator Boyhan for their very welcome comments and questions. Deputy Barry asked whether own-door accommodation subsumed within a family hub is classified as family hub and counted in the homeless figures. I do not know the answer to that question but the representatives of Focus Ireland may be able to comment on it. I am happy to defer to Mr. Allen on that issue. I note that the report of the Dublin Region Homelessness Executive from April breaks the figure down into hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation, private emergency accommodation, supported temporary accommodation and family hubs. I do not know the answer to the question asked. We have concerns about the integrity of the data since these categories were taken out and about the categories that were never included, such as rough sleeping or refugees. That was documented in our statement. I will defer to Mr. Allen on this issue.

Senator Boyhan asked about the differences in approach to child homelessness in Scotland and Ireland. I will address the difference between the models. Homeless children in Ireland have no statutory protections. There is a discretionary obligation on the local authority to provide emergency accommodation. The local authority must assess people for homelessness. The legislation clearly states that one may be categorised as homeless if found to be such in the opinion of the local authority, which is a significant challenge. By way of example, we referred to refusals, although I did not address that full on in response to Deputy Casey. These are people who repeatedly present as homeless. Their notice of termination may not have been validated by Threshold, which is the regular agency, or they may not have provided sufficient paperwork - the paperwork that is normally associated with social housing assessment is normally extensive. They may not have stayed with every family member with whom they could possibly stay to meet their housing need. Recently, some families presenting to housing authorities have been repeatedly repelled. I am working on the case of a person who presented approximately 12 times. Now that there has been an intervention, there is a recognition that there is no alternative. That case involves young children. There is no duty on a housing authority to assess that and take into account the best interests of those children.

On the differences between the Irish, English and Scottish models, one particularly noteworthy aspect of the English model is that there is a six-week limit on the time vulnerable categories of person, including homeless families, can spend in unsuitable temporary accommodation such as hotels and bed and breakfasts. In Scotland, that time limit is seven days, reduced from 14 days. That is starkly different from the situation here for children accessing homeless services. On the legal framework, there is a best interest consideration which is completely absent here. The Scottish model is seen as one that has brought about a very different and human rights-led approach to homelessness. However, the model pertains only to homelessness and is criticised for not dealing with the broader right to housing. We would very much welcome the adoption of that model here, but we recognise its shortcomings, which highlight the need for broader protection of the right to housing.