Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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420. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the way in which families may avail of family-friendly temporary accommodation units; the way in which these units are being allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20820/17]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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421. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the way in which homeless persons in commercial hotel and bed and breakfast emergency accommodation will be allocated housing before the mid 2017 deadline to cease the use of these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20821/17]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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422. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the proportion of HAP, rapid build and social housing units that will be used to provide housing for homeless families in order to meet the mid 2017 deadline to cease the use of commercial hotel and bed and breakfast emergency accommodation for homeless persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20822/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 to 422, inclusive, together.

The target set in Rebuilding Ireland, that by mid-2017 hotels will only be used in limited circumstances to provide emergency accommodation for families, is necessarily ambitious. However, I believe that the significant efforts currently being made by local authorities and other key bodies, supported by my Department, will enable the objective to be achieved.

It is intended that the long-term housing needs of families that are currently homeless will be met through a mix of social housing solutions, particularly through the enhanced Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, general social housing allocations and other letting arrangements that the housing authorities consider appropriate. Significant results are already being achieved in this regard, with housing authorities achieving over 3,000 sustainable exits from homeless accommodation into independent tenancies during 2016, a record level of exits in a calendar year.

Local authorities are also pursuing a range of new emergency accommodation facilities that can be used as an alternative to hotels, to accommodate households during periods of homelessness. These supported accommodation initiatives will provide temporary accommodation for homeless families with a greater level of stability, services and supports than are available in hotel accommodation, while move-on options to long-term independent living are identified and secured.

Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including emergency accommodation, rests with the individual housing authorities. In that context, it will be a matter for housing authorities, in the first instance, to consider the appropriate accommodation solutions for each individual family. However, my Department continues to engage proactively with the various local authorities in relation to funding the delivery of a range of identified temporary accommodation arrangements for homeless families.