Ms Catherine Keenan:

From the perspective of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, we brought in an IT choice-based letting pilot system last year and found that it worked very well. At the beginning we piloted hard-to-let properties. The system has worked so well that the number of refusals has decreased from 35% in 2016 down to 24% in 2017 and we will roll out the system in July.

The county council is developing a new civic hub that will be staffed by 16 people who will deal with many queries, including housing queries. We will provide kiosks so that people can access the properties online. We will also provide support to people who wish to apply for housing and general housing supports. The initiative will free up staff who work in the backroom offices so that they can concentrate on allocations and other aspects of homelessness.

In terms of accommodation for elderly people, 50% of the one-bed or two-bed need can be found in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area. We have provided a number of elderly accommodation sites in Rochestown and Sallynoggin. We have embarked on a pilot scheme that provides a larger one-bedroom unit that can be divided into two to enable a carer or family member to stay overnight. In June, ten such units will be opened at a location called The Brambles in Sallynoggin. That proves we are aware of these problems and are addressing them.