Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the implementation of The Way Home homeless strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35683/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The National Implementation Plan for the Government's Homeless Strategy, The Way Home, was launched on 21 April 2009 and is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. It provides a robust framework to guide the action required at national level to promote and support effective implementation locally. The Plan sets out a sequence of strategic aims, key approaches, priority actions and constituent/supporting measures, along with relevant timelines, necessary to pursue the objectives of the Strategy.

Implementation of the Strategy involves action by a number of statutory and non-statutory agencies and achievement of its objectives depends particularly on the effectiveness of action by such agencies at local level. My Department works to promote and co-ordinate the role of these agencies through the Cross-Department Team on Homelessness, the National Homelessness Consultative Committee and direct engagement with local authorities and other relevant organisations.

A number of key actions under the Strategy more directly involving my Department are being progressed. New legislative provisions relating to homelessness were enacted in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 under which statutory structures and action plans to address homelessness will come into being at local level. Major reconfiguration of homeless services in Dublin is in progress in accordance with a model developed pursuant to a comprehensive evaluation of services. Approval has been given to the development of a new homeless services shared client database. A new scheme of mainstream housing and supports to help people in homeless facilities to progress to independent living has been launched, and the procurement process for support services in Dublin will be completed shortly.

Implementation of the Homeless Strategy is a high priority for my Department as evidenced by the level of funding available in 2009 for homeless accommodation and related services, which increased by 5% in monetary terms, and significantly more in real terms relative to trends in prices, over 2008. Implementation of the Homeless Strategy is, therefore, well underpinned by funding, structural arrangements and legislative provisions. Achievement of its objectives, which is being driven by my Department, will ultimately be determined by the performance of all of the statutory and non-statutory agencies involved.