Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Homelessness Strategy

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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177. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the guidelines his Department has issued to local authorities advising them of the maximum amount of time a family with children experiencing homelessness should spend living in emergency hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation; and his plans to issue new guidelines to local authorities in this regard, in view of the pledge to remove all families from this form of emergency accommodation by mid 2017. [33295/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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. 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.

No guidelines have issued from my Department to local authorities in relation to the matter raised in the question nor is it intended to do so. However, it is fully recognised that the period of time that families spend in emergency hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation should be minimised. This is reflected in the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnessthat by mid-2017, hotels should only be used in limited circumstances for emergency accommodation for families; this will be achieved by meeting their housing needs through the enhanced Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and general housing allocations, and by providing new supply to be delivered through an expanded Rapid Build Housing Programme and a Housing Agency initiative to acquire vacant houses. My Department is working closely with local authorities and the Housing Agency towards the achievement of these actions and initiatives.

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