Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for his questions. Recent controversies involving a particular homelessness charity in Dublin have highlighted the importance of protecting vulnerable homeless people. We must keep that to the forefront of everything we do. I have previously raised concerns about the number of ad hocgroups of people who feel they may be doing good but who are not properly trained in the sector, including the charity mentioned by Deputy O'Callaghan. A Garda investigation is still ongoing into very serious allegations of sexual abuse of vulnerable people, which is abhorrent. We must make sure that standards, particularly around Garda vetting, are in place for all charities.

The body the Deputy mentioned operated outside the scope of the main homeless services, which are provided by local authorities and voluntary NGOs. I chair the homeless task force in my Department with the main homeless NGOs, those which are fully accredited, have full charitable status and are very careful and considered in ensuring their staff go through the proper training and are properly vetted. Where there are gaps, that needs to be addressed very seriously.

Issues have also been raised around the role of the Charities Regulator. Let us be frank. There are charities in this space that crop up nearly overnight. They may be given charitable status but may not have qualified people working in the sector. That is something that concerns me. I have seen it while on outreach with other groups around this city. They feel they are doing good but in many instances are not properly trained to provide the outreach that other services provide. Most important, we want to make sure that people are given a permanent home to live in and that those who need emergency accommodation are provided with accommodation that is safe and has the wrap-around supports we need.

I have seen Focus Ireland's call for annual targets. I, on behalf of the Government, have committed, under the Lisbon declaration, to eradicating homelessness by 2030. Focus Ireland and many other organisations in this sector have welcomed that. We have seen a substantial year-on-year decrease in homelessness. Over the past two months, we have seen some slight increases and we need to watch that. I have convened a meeting of my task force tomorrow. If we take the peak of homelessness in July 2018, child and family homelessness had declined by about 50% since. Progress is being made, particularly on prevention of homelessness, because the Government provided unprecedented resources, €218 million in homeless service supports, last year. In the budget next week, we will continue to support homeless services. There is a big focus on the provision of permanent homes for people. That is what we have done in our Housing for All plan as well.

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