Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to fast-track the provision of social housing in order to deliver the commitment to end long-term homelessness by 2010; the details of these plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27592/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of people listed as homeless, by local authority area, for the years 2003 to 2007 and to date in 2008 in tabular form; the steps being taken to reduce the numbers of homeless people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27579/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 85 together.

The triennial statutory assessment of housing needs provides information on homelessness, including details of the number of homeless households by local authority area. These are published in the Annual Housing Statistics Bulletins, which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. The most recent published figures relate to the position at March 2005. The latest triennial assessment took place in March 2008 and results will be published in due course.

Significant progress has been undertaken to address homelessness since the adoption of the Integrated Government Strategy on Homelessness in 2000 and the Preventative Strategy in 2002. This has included an improvement in both the quality and range of services for homeless persons. Homeless fora have been established throughout the country and local action plans on homelessness adopted. A range of new services, in relation to emergency, transitional and long-term accommodation has been provided and settlement and tenancy sustainment services have been developed to assist people out of homelessness.

A revised Government strategy to underpin future action on homelessness has been developed by my Department in conjunction with the Cross Department Team on Homelessness, with input from the National Homeless Consultative Committee, which includes representatives of local authorities, the HSE and voluntary bodies. A core objective of the strategy will be the elimination of long-term occupation of emergency homeless accommodation. An important factor in pursuing this objective will be the provision of accommodation in the social and voluntary housing sectors, including exploiting the significant potential of the Rental Accommodation Scheme in this area and ensuring the availability of appropriate outreach and settlement support. Local circumstances and the needs of individual homeless people must be taken into account in delivering the optimum response in each case. The new strategy, now being finalised, will be published following the resolution of a number of outstanding issues.