Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Will the Taoiseach intervene to ensure the HSE will have funding available in order that it might be able to operate the homeless shelters being built by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government? Under what sort of programme for Government or national strategy does one put in place a system under which such shelters can be built but where the agency responsible for them does not have the resources necessary to fund their operation? Does the Taoiseach agree that the provision of funding such as that to which I refer is essential in the context of ensuring the less well-off and the homeless will be catered for and that we will go some way towards meeting the 2010 target?

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