Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy to send me the details of the cases that he has come across.

There is a number of key points here. For example, if someone is leaving prison, there should be a proper plan for that person before he or she leaves prison in terms of rehabilitation or work, and in terms of placement, and each case is different. Much work goes on within prisons to facilitate safe release that can lead to a sustainable life, free from addiction and with supports and wraparound services. That is very important.

Likewise, in terms of homelessness services in general, the HSE winter plan provides for this. When I was Minister for Health, I myself was involved where we provided mental health supports in the centres for easy access for people who are homeless and provided GP services and supports to homeless people who were in centres, in other words, that the services should go to the homeless person as opposed to expecting the homeless person to go to the services. I favour that type of approach. I will talk to both the Minister for Health and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage who have been engaged on this. The HSE is working with the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and with other local authorities across the country to make sure that there is a proactive co-ordinated approach to help people in these situations and to understand the reasons such cases develop. These cases are unacceptable. They cannot be tolerated. We must do everything we possibly can to deal with them.

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