Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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6. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to report on the accommodation of homeless children in adult homeless accommodation; the actions she has taken on the welfare of homeless children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14844/16]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I know the Minister is only new to the job, but I wanted her to comment on what I believe is the greatest welfare scandal in the country, namely, the fact there has been a doubling of the number of children in homeless accommodation, as well as a doubling of the number of adults. There is no greater task ahead of the Minister than resolving this issue, and I would like to hear how she proposes to do that.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I agree that this is a great concern for all of us and it is a priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, both in terms of the specific aspect the Deputy raises in respect of adult homeless accommodation and the wider issues I referred to in reply to an earlier question. Recent reports of a number of families having to avail of emergency accommodation in facilities that are intended for use by homeless adults only are very distressing. I have been informed by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that the placement of families into adult emergency accommodation in Dublin is a last resort. It only occurs late at night when no other accommodation can be sourced in the city through family accommodation or commercial hotels.

Such a response is clearly undesirable, but it is sometimes the only option available to ensure a family does not sleep rough. In these circumstances, families are accommodated in secure and defined areas that are separate from other adult service users. I understand that Dublin City Council has confirmed that fewer than ten incidences of such placements occurred recently. Each family was subsequently contacted the next morning by a member of the family homeless action team which worked with the housing authorities to provide more suitable alternative accommodation. Still, it should not have to occur, and I am very cognisant that we must work to reduce the occasions on which this happens. I cannot imagine what it might have been like if my three brothers, one sister and I had to do something like that.

With regard to the actions I have taken on the welfare of homeless children, as the Deputy will be aware, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides family support and works with relevant services to maximise the supports available to children and families who are homeless. Tusla and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive are shortly to sign off on a joint protocol which includes guidance on working with families where child protection concerns arise within emergency homeless accommodation.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

I anticipate that the protocol will be in full operation this month. Tusla has also appointed a homelessness liaison officer to lead on its engagement with homeless services, particularly on child protection issues.

Issues related to homelessness are a key priority for the Government. In conjunction with my Cabinet colleagues, I am seeking to define a set of measures to better support children with their families in emergency homeless accommodation.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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The Minister rightly mentioned the cases where no other accommodation could be found and children had to be put into adult hostels, sleeping on blow-up beds. It is an absolute scandal in an EU state. There are 2,121 homeless children, and the figures have doubled.

I have seen in Dublin West, where we have a homelessness crisis, that there are serious knock-on impacts on children from being homeless and from the housing crisis in general. Children are falling behind in school, for example. There is no hotel or homeless accommodation in the area and we have people getting two buses across the city. Children are losing their friends. They are incurring stigma, shame and depression from the situation they are in, which is living in a hotel. One family I know are there for one year and two months. Obesity is also a serious problem. How are families meant to get decent, healthy food when they cannot cook for themselves? Children are becoming seriously obese and there are also knock-on impacts on their parents. Has the Department done any audit of this or is it commissioning an audit on the damage that is being done?

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Deputy Coppinger is absolutely right. All the issues she identifies are very distressing for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, but also just as a human being and a citizen of this country.

I referred to some of this in an earlier question, but I have already had a number of meetings and conversations with many of the non-governmental organisations in this area, especially in respect of children in emergency accommodation and hotels. I am aware that often the children in the hotels are away from their schools and that causes a problem. Families also do not have the facilities to cook. As we approach the summer months, one of our great concerns is that hotel accommodation may not even be available because of what is going on in terms of the tourism industry.

As I said earlier, I have gathered a number of people already to discuss this. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, and I are beginning to work on a plan specifically to address children who are homeless. In the next couple of weeks I will gather the stakeholders again to identify short-term measures as well as beginning to plan for medium-term measures to ensure children are cared for in that context.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I am on the Committee on Housing and Homelessness and I have just taken a break to ask this question. One of the contributions to the committee came from SONAS housing association which reported that women and children are choosing to stay in violent homes rather than go into homelessness. The health of children and women is being jeopardised because of this situation.

The Minister took a very controversial decision to join the Government which has overseen a doubling of homelessness. I assume she factored all that in when she took that decision. How does she see this situation being ended without emergency measures being taken to build homes for those who need them and serious tackling of the wealth that exists in this society? We have seen the rich list. The people at the top have doubled their wealth, yet we have people living in these situations. In 2014, there were 465 adults with children and there were 726 children homeless in Ireland. Now there are 1,570. Why did the Minister take such a controversial decision to join the Government that allowed this situation to develop in the first place?

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Deputy Coppinger is right that it was controversial. It was not a universally popular decision and I am aware of that. I discerned it carefully. The Deputy is absolutely right in that there is a major challenge here. I have been describing to her and to Deputy Rabbitte earlier how this issue in particular is a key concern of mine, and I have already done a number of things in terms of bringing together some of the stakeholders and making a commitment to working closely with my Cabinet colleague in this regard.

I am also very aware of some of the issues in respect of SONAS housing association. I did a great deal of research and work with it earlier in my career, so I am aware and I am appalled, as the Deputy identified, to hear that in those circumstances the alternative for women and children is to stay where they are, which is not a good thing either. I am deeply concerned by that. We have only a certain amount of time. Judge us on what we manage to do. I am happy to be judged on that.