Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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384. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding given to homelessness groups over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24254/14]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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385. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered dismantling the red tape in the homelessness sector by ceasing to fund the various groups and organisations and having his Department take over the lead role; if he has considered having a one-stop-shop to deal with homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24255/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 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 related services rests with housing authorities. The purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988.

My Department does not fund any service directly but provides funding to lead housing authorities on a regional basis towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1998. Housing authorities provide additional funding from their own resources. The regional approach is considered more appropriate as it helps to bring a more strategic perspective to bear on action to address homelessness, including avoidance of over-concentration of homelessness services in certain centres and promoting appropriate regional availability of services, consistent with need.

The Section 10 funding provided by my Department to housing authorities on a regional basis for the years 2009 to 2013 and the recently notified provisional allocations for 2014 are set out in the table.

Funding Provided under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988

This plan sets out a range of measures to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households within the next three years and mobilise the necessary supports. Progress in implementing the plan will be reported quarterly through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy.