Written answers

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Homelessness Strategy

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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44. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the homelessness crisis; the Government's plans to tackle the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37455/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The long-term solution to homelessness is to increase the supply of homes. In November 2014, I launched the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020. This six-year strategy sets out to provide 35,000 new social housing units at a cost of €3.8 billion and restores the State to a central role in the provision of social housing through, inter alia, a resumption of direct building on a significant scale by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.

A significant number of other measures are being taken to address homelessness by securing a supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. These measures have been identified in the Government's Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness (May 2014) and in the Action Plan to Address Homelessness (December 2014). Substantial progress has been made in implementing these plans. Progress in implementing these plans is reported through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plans and progress reports are available on my Department's website at the following link:

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These Plans represent a whole-of-Government approach to dealing with homelessness and the implementation of measures identified in these plans is being overseen by a group of senior officials drawn from key State agencies concerned including my Department, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Health Service Executive, Tusla the Child and Family Agency, the Irish Prison Service and housing authorities. This Homelessness Policy Implementation Team's next meeting is scheduled for mid-November following which I expect the next quarterly report to be prepared and submitted to the Cabinet Committee, after which it will be made available on my Department's website.

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