Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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461. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on claims by the chief executive of a charity (details supplied) that Brexit will have a major effect on homelessness here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19692/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The issue of rough sleeping, which the organisation concerned primarily focuses on, is monitored closely by housing authorities countrywide but particularly in Dublin where a twice-yearly rough sleeper count is conducted through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) using a consistent enumeration methodology.  The latest Dublin Region rough sleeper count was conducted on the night of 4 April 2017 and the results were published by the DRHE on 25 April, following verification and analysis. The count identified a minimum of 138 persons sleeping rough across the Dublin Region, a figure very similar to the 142 identified under the previous count which was conducted in November 2016. There was no meaningful difference with regard to the volume of non-Irish nationals identified over the two counts; if anything, the number of non-Irish national rough sleepers would appear to have declined since November 2016. I have not seen any analysis to support the suggestion by the organisation concerned that ‘Brexit’ will have a major effect on homelessness in Ireland.