Ms Jackie Finney:

Families are treated as a unit so I do not really understand the question as it pertains to us in Westmeath and across the midlands. On the need for State-run homeless facilities, as I have said, in the midlands and across the region, we have a number of service providers who provide a good service. We are trying to move away from private emergency accommodation, on which a lot is spent at the moment. We are trying to move away from that. I spoke about the family hubs earlier. All local authorities, including ourselves in Westmeath, are looking at all of our other schemes, such as RAS, leasing and the tenant in situ scheme. While the tenant in situ scheme has been reduced, it can assist families exiting homelessness. We are also looking at our own local authority build programme, through which we are trying to move away from private emergency accommodation altogether.

As in Dublin, we have concerns about people moving from one institution to another in cases of family reunification where young people have come into the country and then reached the age of 18. We have experience of this across the midlands. All local authorities are working to support such people and engage with social workers and Tusla in respect of people who are just over 18 and coming into our services. It is an area of concern and one we are keeping an eye on. The numbers in the midlands region are small but it is an area we will be watching.