Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of housing units provided this year for persons who were previously on local authority homeless lists. [33989/11]

Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will complete and publish the review of the national homeless strategy The Way Home. [33990/11]

Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the Counted In study calculating the number of persons in homeless services will be conducted in 2011. [34281/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 364, 365 and 382 together.

My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons and the maintenance of housing/homeless lists resides with the 88 housing authorities and my Department does not hold the information requested in relation to persons who were previously on local authority homeless lists. In respect of counting numbers of people in homeless services, 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.

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 in the Dublin region and roll out nationally will now commence. Roll out will be on a phased basis and the first phase will consist of the South West and North East Regions comprising the County and City authorities of Cork, Kerry, Louth, Monaghan and Cavan. It is intended that the PASS system will be rolled out across the entire country by end 2012 providing that no unforeseen issues arise during the initial roll out phase.

The PASS system will in future provide good quality, timely, data on homelessness nationally as an evidence base for all homeless services. PASS will determine the numbers in homeless services for the Dublin region in 2011 and pending roll out nationally 'Counted In' in the traditional manner will take place later this month or early December in Cork, Limerick and Galway. The issue of homelessness remains a key priority for Government which, despite current challenging economic circumstances, remains fully committed to protecting the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society. The Programme for Government commits to reviewing and updating the current homeless strategy and to adopting a 'housing led' approach to homelessness. Work now underway on updating the strategy will be concluded later this year and will involve the establishment of clear performance targets and associated timelines with a particular emphasis on the delivery of accommodation units for homeless persons. Once complete the review will be published at the earliest opportunity.