Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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523. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the money paid to hotels and bed and breakfasts in the Dublin region for the provision of accommodation for homeless families; the amount each unit of accommodation is costing; and the checks carried out by his Department or Dublin City Council, on such accommodation. [10109/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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 and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Housing authorities provide additional funding from their own resources.

During 2014 my Department provided a total of €35,322,223 in Exchequer ‘Section 10’ funding to the Dublin Region in respect of homeless services. The specific breakdown sought, in relation to hotels, bed and breakfasts and unit cost, is not available in my Department.

My Department has no function with regard to operational matters, such as assessing accommodation standards, which are matters for the relevant housing authorities.