Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. The death of any person sleeping rough on our streets is a tragedy and our sympathies go to the families who have lost loved ones in this way most recently and over the past number of years as each death occurred.

Supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness is an absolute priority for this Government. Budget 2019 reflects this commitment by allocating an additional €30 million for the provision of homelessness services in 2019. This will increase the total budget available to local authorities to €146 million, a 26% increase on the provision for 2018. Budget 2019 also provides for an additional €60 million in capital funding for the provision of emergency accommodation, which will deliver further emergency facilities for single adults and additional family hubs to support families experiencing homelessness.

Providing additional accommodation for rough sleepers is essential. In September, I wrote to the chief executives of the four Dublin local authorities requesting the delivery of additional emergency accommodation across the Dublin region. A plan submitted to me subsequently by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive will deliver over 200 new permanent beds before the end of the year. Delivery of these additional beds is already under way and all will be in place within the next three to four weeks. That will be in plenty of time for the cold weather spells. We must also recognise that many individuals experiencing homelessness require other supports to assist them to exit homelessness into an independent tenancy. The implementation plan for Housing First, published in September, will deliver permanent housing solutions for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. Building on the success of the 220 tenancies already established, the plan contains targets for each local authority, with an overall national target of 660 additional tenancies to be delivered by 2021. As we move into winter, I have asked all local authorities to ensure that cold weather arrangements are in place for rough sleepers. These arrangements have already been activated in the context of recent cold weather and additional outreach teams are in place to ensure our most vulnerable citizens are being engaged with and supported.

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