Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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647. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if the place finders service that was promised to assist programme refugees find private rented accommodation has been established; and if so, if he will allow the 399 persons with a form of status that reside in State provided accommodation to access the place finders service in order to find private rented accommodation. [31051/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, an operational sub-group under the auspices of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) Taskforce, composed of all relevant Departments of State and other bodies such as representatives of local authorities and the Irish Red Cross, was established to support the process of housing programme refugees referred to by the Deputy.  This sub-group is co-chaired by my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality.

Any person assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme.

Arrangements are being put in place at local authority level across the country to support the identification of units and housing for programme refugees, including through HAP. Such housing solutions are being funded from the €5.35billion approved by Government under Rebuilding Ireland. It should be noted that a range of other supports are also being made available at local level to support the integration of the families concerned into their new communities. My Department continues to work with key stakeholders in this area, as we finalise the necessary arrangements.

It should be noted that eligibility for consideration for social housing support for non-EEA nationals without refugee status requires such persons to be able to show that they have 5 year reckonable residence (out of the last 8 years) or the potential to have such residence, as well as a current valid stamp.