Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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677. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he will take to resolve the homeless situation in Waterford city and, in particular, the plans there are to put vacant properties such as Clarendon Court and Penrose Quay into public use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13344/15]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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678. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Waterford City and County Council is acquiring vacant properties to alleviate the homeless situation in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13345/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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680. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he is taking to resolve homelessness in Waterford City; his plans to put vacant properties such as Clarendon Court and Penrose Quay into public use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13382/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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681. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Waterford City and County Council is acquiring vacant properties to alleviate homelessness in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13383/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 677, 678, 680 and 681 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 and related services for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities.

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:

.

Local authorities are responsible for the detailed planning of social housing provision based on the needs of their areas. In this case, it is a matter for Waterford City and County Council to identify the appropriate initiatives to respond to their housing need. This includes consideration by them of options to acquire available properties, as well as building, leasing and the provision of housing supports through the private rental sector.

The recently published Social Housing Strategy 2020: Support, Supply and Reformsets out clear, national targets to increase the supply of social housing, while Budget 2015 has provided increased funding to support these targets. My Department will work with Waterford City and County Council and other local authorities within the context of the increased funding now available, to meet the Social Housing Strategy targets for 2015 and beyond.

Successfully tackling the current homelessness issue demands that a higher priority be afforded to homeless households in the allocation of housing and accordingly I issued a Ministerial Direction to a number of local authorities, including Waterford City and County Council, on27 January 2015. The Direction to prioritise homeless households and other vulnerable groups will see at least 30% of the dwellings available for allocation over the six-month period from 27 January to 26 July 2015 to such households that had qualified for social housing support on or before 1 December 2014.