Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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32. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has identified specific measures to tackle the main causes of homelessness among young persons; the rates of youth homelessness for each county, including temporary homelessness; the programmes in place in each county to combat this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47845/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, has policy responsibility for adult homelessness, that is, those aged 18 years and over. Children who are referred to as homeless generally fall into three groups: children who mainly reside with their families but due to an emergency, need care and accommodation immediately, children who are defined as at risk of homelessness and children who are found to be "sleeping rough". Children who present as homeless or in need of emergency accommodation are assessed as children in need of welfare and protective services and are provided with an appropriate response.

My Department commissioned the Centre for Effective Services to undertake a review of the implementation of the Youth Homelessness Strategy published by the Department of Health and Children in 2001. The review found that there had been significant improvements in the service response to children presenting as homeless in the last ten years and that the range and standard of services has improved over the past decade and this appears to have contributed to a decrease in the number of children and young people accessing services through the homeless sector.

The Children's Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin also undertook research "Young People's Homeless and Housing Pathways" which involved three phases of data collection over a 6-year period with homeless children and young people in Dublin City. This period of contact and engagement provided a unique opportunity to gain insight into the processes that steered participants "journeys" into, through and out of homelessness, as well as their perspectives on their homeless and housing situations over that time. This study found that for many young people homelessness can be resolved if they receive the necessary services and supports and access to stable housing with appropriate supports, at the earliest possible juncture. Both reports identify the need for early interventions and the importance of timely assessments and the provision of adequate services.

Services for young people aged between 15 and 17 who come to the attention of emergency and homeless services need to be flexible as these young people are often vulnerable and at risk and are typically more challenging in the provision of care. They may be out of school; have experienced neglect and serious family discord; have mental health or learning difficulties; have lived casually among friends and peers; and they may be less inclined to engage with social work services. Additionally they will often need support beyond their 18^th birthday.

The Crisis Intervention Service provides an out-of-hours emergency social work assessment to children aged under 18 years who are out of home and in need of care or accommodation. The service operates across Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. Referrals are made by service providers outside of normal working hours, such as Gardaí or hospital and ambulance service personnel.

Outside the greater Dublin area, the HSE operates an Emergency Place of Safety Service whereby Gardaí can access an emergency placement for children found to be at risk utilising their powers under Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 out of hours. This service involves placing a child in a family setting where they stay until the next working day when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. The service is designed to ensure that children presenting as 'at risk' outside of normal working hours are provided with an appropriate emergency place of safety, a foster care placement, thereby reducing or eliminating social admissions of children in an acute hospital setting.

Section 5 of the Child Care Act provides that the HSE may provide accommodation for a child in need of accommodation, who does not need to be taken into care. The HSE has developed and is now implementing a policy on the use of Section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991. This policy addresses the needs of young people aged 16 and 17 presenting to the HSE Children and Family services in need of accommodation. The HSE has advised that 14 and 6 children were supported under Section 5 in HSE South Region and HSE West Region, respectively. No data is available for Dublin Mid Leinster or Dublin North East regions.

Clearly, while progress has been achieved, some challenges in relation to access to mental health and intellectual disability services for children in crisis or out of home remain. Service responses for children aged 16-18 need more focus as does the management of the transition between child and adult services. My Department has engaged with the HSE and the National Educational Welfare Board, along with the Departments of the Environment Community and Local Government, Education and Skills, Social Protection and Health seeking their views on how the recommendations of "Every Child A Home" relevant to each sector are being or might be brought forward.