Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received a copy of the Dublin Simon Community report on the 26% increase rise in rough sleepers; his plans to increase housing units for long-term homeless and young homeless persons; if his attention has been drawn to an estimated 23,000 vacant properties in the Dublin area; the estimated numbers of homeless in the gateway cities and towns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27809/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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My Department has not received a copy of the Dublin Simon Community report but is aware that Dublin Simon has publicly stated that on average 40 people are sleeping rough in Dublin city each night, representing a 26% increase. This figure would not in fact represent an increase on the last rough sleeper count which took place on Census night in April 2011 and which found that 60 people were sleeping rough on the night in question.

By its nature homelessness remains difficult to quantify and the next rough sleeper count due to take place next month in Dublin will give the most robust indication of prevalence of rough sleeping in the region.

My Department will continue to work closely with voluntary service providers in the delivery of supports for homeless people including those who sleep rough. In 2011 total statutory funding of just over €1 million has been allocated to enhanced outreach services for the Dublin region, jointly provided by Dublin Simon and Focus Ireland, and targeted at rough sleepers

The table below details the progress that has been made over a number of years in addressing this particular cohort of homeless persons in the Dublin region.

Rough Sleeper Count in the Dublin Region November 2005 – April 2011

In respect of counting numbers of homeless people more generally, the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS) is an accommodation management and inter-agency service user support system which is being developed in accordance with priority actions of the implementation plan set out under the national homeless strategy 2008-2013 The Way Home. The system commenced in January 2011 and is currently in use by almost all service providers of homeless accommodation and outreach supports in the Dublin region. A staged roll out to the rest of the country will begin shortly once ongoing work to ensure consistency of use and accurate information recording by the service providers, as well as the elimination of duplicate records, validation of data etc., has been completed. The PASS system will in future provide good quality, timely, data on homelessness nationally as an evidence base for all homeless services.

The Programme for Government commits to reviewing and updating the current homeless strategy and to adopting a 'housing led' approach to homelessness. Following consultation within the sector, it is expected that an updated strategy will be introduced later this year, including clear performance targets and associated timelines. A particular emphasis will be on the delivery of accommodation units for homeless persons through the policy approach outlined in the Housing Policy Statement of June 2011. The key elements of the Department's and local authorities' housing programmes, including the future enhanced role of the private rental sector, the voluntary and cooperative housing sector, the leasing programme, RAS, local authority social housing acquisitions and remedial works/upgrading for vacant local authority housing stock, including re-lettings, will contribute to the ongoing supply of units to meet the needs of those moving from long term homeless accommodation to mainstream housing. Maximising delivery from these sources will be essential to prevent homelessness and end long term occupation of emergency facilities.