Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding her efforts to address youth homelessness. [8065/12]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of known homeless children in the State. [8066/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 68 together. The national youth homelessness strategy was developed in 2001. It is therefore appropriate that, some ten years later, we review progress and set new targets. A review of progress in 2008 by the HSE in conjunction with other agencies found that significant progress had been made, especially in interagency co-operation, early prevention and an out of hours service. These improved practices led to earlier identifications and interventions with children and young people under 18 years within their communities.

There has been an information deficit in this area, which is surprising because there should not have been. Work is under way to improve the quality of information on the number of young people under 18 who are homeless in order to establish in what areas services are working well and where further improvements are needed. It is encouraging that the Dublin region homeless executive informed the HSE that it did not find any child under 18 years of age sleeping rough in Dublin during the sleeping rough headcount in November 2011.

We need better information. I have set up a system and will be able to give Deputies further information at the end of March. The information now being collected will tell us the number of children placed in youth homelessness centres for more than four consecutive nights or more than ten separate nights over a year, the number of children in care in a specified youth homeless centre, the number of referrals being made to emergency out of hours place of safety services and the number of children placed with the emergency out of hours safety service. Those figures will tell us a lot more and give a more complete picture of the experience of young people in regard to homelessness.

Children who were referred to as homeless fall into three groups: children who mainly reside with their families but due to an emergency need care and accommodation immediately; children and young people who are defined as at risk of homelessness, such as children who might be staying with friends but do not have a stable base; and children and young people who are found to be sleeping rough.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I would not take any solace from that. I am of the view that whatever methodology is employed is missing out on real situations. I have no doubt that is the case. It may very well be that young people, in particular, may not gravitate towards the city centre and if they are from suburban city areas they may very well find themselves an opportunity to sleep rough closer to home and the community from whence they come.

The Minister indicated some time ago that she was having discussions in the Department on the most effective model to review the youth homelessness strategy to which she referred in a previous reply. She said it was intended that the review would form the basis for the development of an implementation framework for youth homelessness for the next five years. What is the status of that?

In May 211 the Minister established the advisory group on youth homelessness. I would like an update on that work. I ask the Minister not to depend on the November figures. Earlier questions referred to the failure to reflect the situation of children in regard to a reduction in the Garda numbers and system. I am not sure we can have confidence in the information that no young people under the age of 18 were homeless last November.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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We examined one of the ways of reviewing the homelessness strategy. There was a meeting with all of the stakeholders and it was felt the time was right and that it was essential to review the strategy and see how we could re-prioritise this area. The Deputy is correct; important data needs to be collected. It is remarkable that in the ten years since the adoption of the 2001 youth homelessness strategy there has not been regular data collection on the number of young people aged under 18 who are homeless. That is why I have prioritised the need for better data collection and management. As a result, we will have better data for 2012 next month. I am also getting extra data, to which I referred. The figures will be more helpful and comprehensive.

To answer the question on the future of the strategy, I have asked the Centre for Effective Services to do a high level review of the implementation of the 2001 strategy. We want to examine what has been successful, the blockages, the current challenges and what has not been done. Consultations are being held with the relevant service providers, NGOs and young people as part of this process. The review will be completed before the summer and will inform the development of the framework to address youth homelessness in the next five years. When all of that is put together we will be in a position to move forward in a comprehensive way with better quality data.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister's indication that she is engaging with stakeholders in the widest sense, including NGOs. I presume she is referring to Threshold, Focus Ireland and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Can she indicate whether the process is already under way? The level of proactivity required in this area should be employed in this instance. It is hugely important.

If one was to listen to the contributions of many older people who are homeless in the city today, one would find many indicated they were in that position from their mid to late teens. It cannot be the case that no teenagers are homeless today. We must learn lessons from the past and be proactive. NGOs have a huge role to play in that and I welcome that the Minister is engaging with them.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The data work has begun. The Centre for Effective Services has started its review of the strategy. I met with Focus Point and will meet other groups. Consultation with stakeholders will take place and accelerate once we have the information from the centre.

I acknowledge what the Deputy said about the vulnerability of some children in regard to homelessness, despite the fact the headcount in November found no children aged under 18 were sleeping rough. A number of emergency out of hours placements are being sought by young people and there is pressure on that service. Clearly, there are young people who are out of home, need help and are on the fringes. That is the group on which we need to focus.