Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the services and supports in place for homeless persons in an area (details supplied) in County Wicklow; the funding that has been provided by Government for such services in this area; if consideration will be given to making an outreach service providing hot food available to those who are unable or unwilling to attend a homeless centre of shelter; the Government policy in relation to tackling homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8794/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities. Accordingly , it is a matter for housing authorities to make decisions regarding the type and provision of services for homeless persons within their functional area.

Under Section 10 of the Housing Acts, my Department provides funding to housing authorities in respect of the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services. Funding is provided at the rate of 90% of cost , with the housing authorities providing a further 10% from their own resources. Details of the funding provided by my Department for County Wicklow, since 2010, are set out in the table below.

I will shortly publish a policy statement on homelessness. In this statement I will be indicating what I expect from housing authorities and other stakeholders in accelerating progress towards realising the ambition of eliminating involuntary long-term homelessness.