Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has plans to expand vastly the provision of move-on accommodation designed to enable homeless persons to move into independent living and to prevent vulnerable persons from becoming homeless; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16418/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of transitional and move-on accommodation units funded under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 in various local authority areas in 2004 was 568. This does not include social housing units provided directly by local authorities or voluntary bodies or units sourced in the private sector by individuals, resettlement services, the housing access unit — operated by Threshold on behalf of the Homeless Agency — or specialist units in other Departments. A breakdown of these categories is not readily available in my Department.

In the context of the new housing action plans, renewed focus is now being placed on the provision of move-on and permanent accommodation together with the supports necessary to enable homeless persons to move into independent living. This accommodation may be provided by way of local authority housing or the voluntary sector, the capital funding for which is available from my Department. In addition, the introduction of the rental accommodation scheme will also enhance the availability of housing options for those homeless persons capable of independent living. I am confident that we will see a significant increase in assistance to homeless persons through a combination of these schemes in 2005 and subsequent years.

Funding available from my Department for recoupment to local authorities of costs incurred in the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons in 2005 is €51 million. This brings to €236 million the total funding available from my Department for this purpose since the implementation of the integrated strategy in 2000.