Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Liaising with, and in partnership with, the various voluntary groups, our spending on homelessness increased from €15.84 million in 2000 to €52 million in 2006. In the coming year, the Government will spend €1.7 billion on housing, €114 million of which will be invested in homelessness. Under Towards 2016 and the housing agency's strategy, we aim to move people on from emergency and transitional accommodation to permanent accommodation with supports. We have put a programme in place and we are examining it currently. It will be important going forward that the review, which will be published next spring, should examine supports, apart altogether from the accommodation. Joined up thinking involving the HSE and other State bodies is needed to ensure supports are in place and education and training is provided for the homeless so they can sustain themselves better as part of overall independent living.

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