Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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348. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding State property which has been made available for housing purposes or to assist in dealing with the homelessness crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38168/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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On 20 May 2014, the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessnesswas published in which the Government's approach to delivery on its objective of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016 was outlined. A copy of this plan is available on my Department's website at, .

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 is reported quarterly through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and a copy of the Quarter 2 2014 Progress Report is also available on my Department's website at the link provided.

Bringing vacant local authority properties back into productive use as quickly as possible is one of the critical actions in the implementation plan and steps are being taken across the country to bring 1,800 such units into use before year end.

Other suitable vacant residential properties in State ownership are also being considered to be brought into productive use as quickly as possible and my Department has been engaging with key State property stakeholders for this purpose.As part of this initiative, arrangements are underway to complete remedial works on a property previously managed by OPW and which will be leased to an Approved Housing Body for the purposes of providing accommodation for homeless households in the Dublin region. Some large sites in Dublin City have been identified by key State stakeholders including OPW, the Department of Defence, and the HSE and these are being considered by Dublin City Council. Other potential housing solutions are also being considered in this context.