Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1088. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views that it is permissible for a housing authority to refuse to provide emergency accommodation for families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22368/15]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1090. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government what obligations of a local authority are set down in processes to facilitate the timely assessment of a homeless case; how those needs are quantified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22370/15]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1091. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if it is obligatory to register a case of homelessness on his Department’s pathway accommodation and support system, once a local authority is aware of the status of the homelessness of the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22372/15]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1092. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is confident that his Department has awarded sufficient funding to provide emergency accommodation to deal with the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22376/15]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1093. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views that the responsibility of the requirement of the provision of emergency accommodation to homeless persons rests within the Housing Act 1988; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22377/15]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views that the responsibility of the requirement of the provision of emergency accommodation to homeless persons rests within the Housing Act 1988, that this aspect of the Housing Act has not been amended since it failed to cater for the complications of the new and escalating homelessness crisis, mainly encompassing family groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22378/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1088 and 1090 to 1094, inclusive, 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 temporary accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities.

Under the Housing Act 1988, it is a matter for the housing authority concerned to determine whether a person is regarded as homeless. Any person regarded as homeless by a housing authority may be placed into temporary emergency accommodation, which the housing authority may arrange itself or which may be operated by a State-funded service provider, without the requirement to undergo a social housing assessment and be approved for social housing supports. I am not considering any amendment to the existing arrangements which give housing authorities the flexibility that is essential to respond quickly and effectively to the various needs of cases that may present to them.

In order to qualify for social housing support, a household’s long-term housing need and eligibility must be determined by a housing authority through a social housing assessment under section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. Housing authorities are required to deal with completed applications for support within 12 weeks of receipt or within 6 weeks of receiving additional information but are permitted a further 14 weeks to decide on applications in individual cases.

The Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS) is provided through Dublin City Council as a national shared service whereby statutory and non-governmental homelessness service providers throughout the country can avail of the software package without the requirement for costly individual support and licence arrangements and with Dublin City Council providing user support. PASS records the details of homeless services that are funded through housing authorities under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 and whereby the individuals using such services are defined as homeless under Section 2 of that Act. The usage of PASS by service providers has been established by housing authorities as a requirement for the provision of State funding in respect of homeless services.

With regard to funding, I have made an additional €10.5 million available nationally for homeless accommodation and related services in 2015. This is an increase in funding of approximately 20% over the initial allocation in 2014, bringing the Exchequer contribution to €55.5 million. Housing authorities were recently informed of regional funding allocations. The needs of the various regions will be kept under review on an on-going basis.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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1089. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to lift the embargo specifically in relation to local authority staff resourcing to assist areas where staffing to manage homelessness is critically lacking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22369/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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My Department works closely with all local authorities and all have been invited to submit staffing sanction requests to facilitate the delivery of the Government's Social Housing Strategy. Each staffing sanction request is examined on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. To date in 2015, my Department has received and approved in excess of 200 housing related staffing requests.

Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.