Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that the age of 55 years or above is an appropriate age to be deemed eligible for senior citizen accommodation in council schemes; and the rationale behind this condition. [34691/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Social Housing Assessment (Amendment) Regulations, 2011, set out amended provisions regarding aspects of eligibility for social housing. The Regulations also contain provisions regarding classification of accommodation need and the record of qualified households ("waiting list").

As regards older persons, under previous arrangements, authorities used different definitions of older persons for purposes of social housing support. The new Regulations provide for a single national indicator in the record of qualified households, based on the commonly accepted figure of 65 years. While this is a primary indicator of particular accommodation requirements for those in the older age bracket, my Department's guidance to housing authorities makes it clear that individual households should be allocated the social housing support most appropriate to their particular needs. This approach gives housing authorities discretion in individual cases in the provision of housing support, in accordance with their allocation schemes, which are adopted by elected members of housing authorities.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 414: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding emergency housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34733/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The issue of homelessness is a priority for Government which, despite current challenging economic circumstances, remains fully committed to protecting the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society. I agree that moving away from the outdated expensive emergency hostel-based approach is necessary to ensure most effective outcomes for service users at optimal cost to the Exchequer.

The Programme for Government commits to reviewing and updating the current homeless strategy, to adopting a 'housing led' approach to homelessness and to ensuring more effective prevention strategies. 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. Central to this will be the policy approach outlined in my Housing Policy Statement of June 2011.

There is no single solution to increasing the level of social housing supply, including for those who are homeless, and maximising delivery will require flexible and diverse approaches. The key elements of these approaches will necessarily include the enhanced role of the private rental and the voluntary/cooperative housing sectors, the leasing programme, RAS, local authority social housing acquisitions and remedial works/upgrading for vacant local authority housing stock. Maximising delivery from these sources will be essential to prevent homelessness and end long term occupation of emergency facilities.

The fostering of a resettlement culture that promotes independent living, with supports if and as appropriate, on an equitable basis for all those in need of social housing supports coupled with ongoing reconfiguration of homeless services is essential in order to move away from an outdated expensive emergency hostel-based approach, where people have remained for long periods, damaging their self esteem and reducing their prospects of progressing to full independent living.

I am determined to tackle homelessness in a more planned and strategic way by adopting a housing led approach, to ensuring more effective prevention strategies and by providing long term solutions rather than just managing homelessness. This model of service delivery means a reduction in the amount of temporary accommodation and a move to suitable housing tenancies rather than meeting long term needs through homeless accommodation centres.