Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion

Mr. Mike Allen:

Bord Gáis Energy is a corporate partner of Focus Ireland in a number of projects, particularly working on family homelessness. It has provided funding to have children in need seen in private practice on a number of occasions.

We have done a piece of work with Tusla, the Department, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and others which examined the therapeutic needs of children in homeless accommodation. We have produced an interim report on this and the answer is not necessarily to bung a child psychotherapist into the team. Many organisations, all of which are underresourced, are trying to resolve that issue. We are trying to look at the best way of approaching the issue. We will be happy to share the interim report with the committee.