Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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316. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that two homeless persons died on the streets in 2015 because they could not secure accommodation in Cork after undergoing rehabilitation treatment for their addictions; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 35 beds are available through Cuan Mhuire to accommodate homeless persons in Cork but there is no funding available to open them; and his plans to make funding available to open these step-down beds. [20803/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s role is in relation to homelessness and 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. In accordance with section 37(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including accommodation, 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. My Department does not fund any service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. The bulk of Section 10 funding from my Department goes towards the costs incurred in the provision of accommodation services by the voluntary sector providers who have built up the services over the years. In addition, Section 10 funding is used to support day services such as drop-in centres and food services, as well as outreach services, settlement and tenancy sustainment services and the cost of local authority and voluntary sector staff.

Responsibility for policy development in relation to addiction and rehabilitation issues rests with the Minister for Health and the delivery of services in this regard is managed through the Health Service Executive. The Cuan Mhuire services fall into this category and funding for these facilities is, therefore, a matter for the HSE. I understand that the Department of Health is currently working on the development of a new National Drugs Strategy for the post-2016 period.