Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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I will address the issue of supports for people recovering from addiction, so my question is mainly to the witnesses from the HSE and Department of Health. I represent Dublin 1 and 7. Many addiction supports are available while people are in active addiction. Following on, thankfully, we have a Housing First strategy and people are found placements, often in private accommodation. Sometimes, however, these placements are in places that are effectively being operated by approved housing bodies. Will the witnesses outline the framework and communication between AHBs and their respective organisations in terms of ensuring that people in Housing First are getting supports? I know community workers are going in and checking on certain people. I also know, however, that some of those placements are, in some cases, chaotic. I have people coming into my constituency clinics saying they have a placement like that and it attracts people who may also be in addiction and it becomes a problematic situation in that housing. I am interested in hearing what the live conversation is between AHBs and the Department of Health or the HSE in supporting people who are recovering or are in Housing First programmes and in active addiction.

Not to put too fine a point on it, some parts of the country, like Dublin 1, have a high provision of those places and are increasingly being put under serious pressure. Is the Department of Health tracking the management of all such provision by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE, various charities and the HSE directly, so we have a live-action map showing how many people are in Dublin 1, Dublin 8, Kerry or Limerick, for example? I very much believe some communities are bearing a greater burden than others.