Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The issue of housing and homelessness is a matter in the first instance for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. A similar perspective was taken by my predecessors. As a matter of course, my Department does not provide homes for retired personnel, and for many years a process of phasing out married quarters for serving personnel has been in place. As such, my Department has no information on the number, if any, of former members of the Defence Forces who may be homeless.

My Department provides an annual subvention of €40,000 to ONE, which is dedicated to looking after the welfare of former service personnel of the Irish Defence Forces by way of providing accommodation to homeless, elderly or disabled members in need of such domestic accommodation and shelter and other assistance that may be required.

The organisation is a limited company with charitable status. It provides accommodation with 30 places in Smithfield, six places in Athlone and six places in Letterkenny. Any retired soldier, male or female, may contact the Smithfield centre directly and ONE will assist by directing the person to other facilities within the health services or the local authority services, or by offering a room, if vacant, in Dublin, Athlone or Letterkenny.

The funding from my Department is provided to support the general overheads of the organisation and expressly not for the provision of services that are provided to citizens, including members of ONE, by other State services, such as housing, health and social assistance. Dublin City Council continues to support the ONE homeless initiative in Smithfield. This support is very welcome.

See this speech in context