Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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35. To ask the Minister for Defence his views on extending the Civil Defence operation supporting Dublin City Council’s initiative to assist the homeless to other areas of the country affected by high levels of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6797/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Civil Defence is a statutory volunteer based organisation. Its principal role is to support the Primary Response Agencies, such as the Gardaí and the HSE, in dealing with emergencies. It is also involved in a wide range of community support activities.

Responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with local authorities. The Deputy will be aware that on the 9th of December last the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly T.D., announced a 20 point Action Plan to tackle emergency and short term homelessness. The initiative in Dublin, supported by Civil Defence, was just one of a series of measures aimed at rapidly increasing the number of beds available for homeless people in the capital.

Since the 12th December last, Dublin Civil Defence with the assistance of Civil Defence Volunteers from other counties, have been operating a temporary hostel at their premises at Wolfe Tone Quay. This provides overnight accommodation for up to 20 people. This facility also operated from January to March of last year, in support of the City Council’s initiative to alleviate homelessness in the capital. Professional carers on contract to the City Council assist with the management of the homeless persons at the facility. On Wednesday of last week Minister of State at my Department, Mr. Paul Kehoe, T.D., had the pleasure of visiting the temporary hostel to thank the Civil Defence Volunteers for their efforts on behalf of the Government and to meet with some of the homeless persons using the facilities there.

We must also be mindful of the other demands on Civil Defence. For example, in recent weeks Civil Defence Volunteers have assisted the Gardaí in ten different searches for missing people including in your own county of Tipperary. Civil Defence volunteers also make themselves available, if required, to assist in dealing with flooding and the effects of severe weather. Thankfully this has been much less of an issue this year compared to the early part of 2014 when Civil Defence Volunteers were called out repeatedly to assist local authorities in dealing with the effects of severe weather.

While Civil Defence is always willing to assist the community, homelessness by its nature is a complex issue and there are other agencies and groups, both statutory and voluntary, who specialise in dealing with the homeless.

I can assure the Deputy that, under the Action Plan announced by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Mr. Alan Kelly, T.D., which involves all of the relevant agencies, the issue of homelessness in other areas of the country outside of Dublin will be comprehensively addressed.