Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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16. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the quality of emergency accommodation for homeless persons and families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2183/17]

Simon 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 the provision of good quality accommodation, 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 therefore a matter for individual housing authorities in the first instance, working in conjunction with the range of homeless services providers engaged in the provision and management of emergency accommodation.

My Department understands that enhanced National Quality Standards for Homeless Services are currently being developed by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive on behalf of all local authorities. A national advisory group has been in place since 2014 with representation from non-governmental homelessness service providers, the Health Service Executive, Tusla, etc. as well as the housing authorities. Draft standards were piloted in services in four of the nine homeless regions during 2016 and it is expected that they will be implemented nationally in the first half of this year.