Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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He is not. On PEAs, I take Dr. O'Carroll's point that the numbers being accommodated in PEAs has significantly increased and has doubled. It now accounts for two thirds of the spend on emergency accommodation. As stated by Dr. O'Carroll the mortality rate is also increasing and almost on a par. We need to be concerned about that. The committee raised this issue with Brendan Kenny of the DRHE during its meeting with him a number of months ago. There is a commitment to a follow-up meeting with him. We insisted that wraparound supports be provided and we accept that that has been done. There should be a strong recommendation from this meeting as well that the private emergency accommodation be phased out. It is substandard and it does not give people the opportunity to move on with their lives. I think we should add that recommendation to the five recommendations made by Dr. O'Carroll. Would Dr. O'Carroll agree?

Dr. O'Carroll mentioned the critical incident review. My understanding of his responses in that regard is that it is purely an operational decision now in that there is acceptance that this is a good initiative and it should be implemented. The committee should, probably, add that to its agenda for follow-up with Brendan Kenny and the DRHE. In terms of the trauma informed response, I concur with Dr. O'Carroll's remarks in that regard but I believe the response needs to start before people get to Parkgate Street or engagement with homeless services. We need that trauma informed response to start at Intreo and city council offices level. As a committee, we should write to the Minister for Social Protection on that and to the chief executives of all of the local authorities to ask them to build into their staff training and supports a trauma informed response for people who are in crisis when they come seeking help and who have suffered considerably before they arrive at that point.

In relation to the committee's report, I thank Dr. O'Carroll for allowing us to include his submission in it. It would be great if Dr. O'Carroll could be involved in the future workings of the committee. As a committee, we have committed to homeless issues addressed, at least, on a six monthly basis. Dr. O'Carroll's recommendations are very strong. I thank him for giving us his time.