Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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514. To ask the Minister for Social Protection how many adults and children are referred and funded by the new communities unit; how many of these had a housing needs assessment; and if they are on the social housing waiting list. [13529/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The New Communities Unit (NCU) my Department offers assistance to families who are primarily non-Irish, homeless and generally without recourse to any weekly income. The main focus of this unit is to ensure that families receive an income maintenance payment, under the terms of the relevant legislation, from my Department. In addition non-Irish homeless families have been referred to this unit directly by the Central Placement Service, operated on behalf of the four local authorities by Dublin City Council, and the staff in the NCU have facilitated booking these people into emergency accommodation. This accommodation is sourced and funded by Dublin City Council under Section 10 of the Housing Act (1988). The practice, whereby staff in the NCU act as booking agents in such circumstances, is a residual one from when the NCU was based in the HSE. Officials from my Department are considering the appropriateness and nature of the NCU’s involvement in the delivery of this service at present. Information in relation to the number of individuals presenting to the NCU seeking emergency accommodation is not retained. Similarly, information concerning the number of persons that have had housing needs assessment completed or have been placed on a housing list, both matters for the relevant local authorities in the Dublin area, is neither collated nor retained by the NCU.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.