Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

598. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of persons being housed in hotel rooms as emergency accommodation; and the progress made to bring to an end the use of hotels for emergency accommodation. [29559/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As of the end of April 2017, there were 695 homeless families in Dublin being accommodated in commercial hotels and B&Bs. This total is a considerable reduction on the 871 such families recorded at the end of March. Based on figures provided to my Department by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, over 830 families have exited hotel and B&B arrangements since Rebuilding Ireland was published last July, while over 400 families were prevented from entering hotels by securing new tenancies under the homeless pilot of the Housing Assistance Payment scheme before they had to enter homeless emergency accommodation.

Given the number of exits being achieved by the Dublin housing authorities on an ongoing basis and also the significant volume of new family-oriented supported temporary accommodation coming on stream in the coming weeks, I expect the overall figure for homeless families accommodated in hotel and B&B arrangements to further reduce over the coming period. I have requested that the four Dublin housing authorities continue to treat this as a key priority and while the emphasis must be on exiting as many homeless families as possible, I have requested that any remaining families, other than in exceptional circumstances, are notified by end June of the pathway out of hotels envisaged for them over the coming weeks.

Last week, I announced my intention to make available €10 million for further new family-oriented supported temporary accommodation facilities. Currently, fifteen such facilities are being developed at a total estimated cost of €25 million to provide accommodation for upwards of 600 families. The additional funding will add accommodation for at least another 200 families.