Written answers

Thursday, 8 December 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Homelessness Strategy

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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101. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the level of engagement that exists between State agencies for rough sleepers in County Kildare some of whom are begging on the streets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39250/16]

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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The matter raised in the Question is an operational issue in the day-to-day delivery of services and is a matter for Kildare County Council in the first instance.

Homeless services are administered at the regional level and in each region a Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum exists which includes representation from the relevant State and non-governmental organisations involved in the delivery of homeless services in a particular region. A statutory Management Group exists for each regional forum, comprised of representative s from the relevant housing authorities and the Health Service Executive, and it is the responsibility of the Management Group to consider issues around the need for homeless services and to plan for the implementation, funding and co-ordination of such services.

In the Kildare County Council administrative area, a housing authority funded Homeless Support Team engages with every homeless person who presents seeking services, while the Homeless Outreach Team investigates all reports of rough sleeping and provides assistance as appropriate. Furthermore, the local Homeless Action Team meets on a regular basis and includes participants from the Department of Social Protection, the Probation Services, the Health Service Executive’s mental health service and addiction service, service providers and housing authority staff.

Incidence of public begging is a matter for the Garda Síochána to consider and there is no automatic direct link between public begging and homelessness.

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