Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The number of young people experiencing homelessness has doubled in the past three years. That is before we get into the hidden homeless - those who have not presented as homeless to a local authority and who are staying on the couches of relatives or friends. We do not know how many young people are homeless but it is much higher than the number officially reported in February. I want to focus on those young people who leave State care, whether foster care or some type of residential care, and find themselves unable to secure accommodation. I have raised this with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. While I acknowledge that many of these issues fall under the remit of that Department, including aftercare supports which are supposed to ensure that care leavers are helped in their transition to independence, a much greater responsibility rests with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

A recent report from Empowering People in Care, EPIC, highlighted the difficulties faced by these young people. I found it very worrying that the report showed that 12% of those who have left the care system are homeless. Approximately 450 children leave care each year and this is challenging without stable accommodation. EPIC and other organisations are looking for more co-operation from the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs and Housing, Planning and Local Government to deliver solutions for these young people. Young people leaving care are at a higher risk of homeless than their peers, simply because they lack the stability in their lives that many others take for granted. This was recently highlighted in the figures from Focus Ireland, which showed that of 119 care leavers the organisation worked with in Dublin, 14 were homeless and 22 were at risk of homelessness. I acknowledge that the Minister said he secured 40 units but it is simply not enough. I hope that he will examine this issue in a cross-departmental way and ensure that young people leaving State care have the supports and certainty that they need.

See this speech in context