Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1993. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when families and children in domestic violence refuges and accommodation will be included in official homeless figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37548/17]

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

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) published a special report in August 2017, based on Census 2016, which provides a comprehensive enumeration of all categories of emergency accommodation, including domestic violence refuges.  This report, which is available on the CSO’s website, , identifies just over 300 adults and children as accommodated in refuges on Census night.  From an academic or social research perspective this report establishes a baseline figure for persons accommodated in refuges.

As regards the monthly homeless reports published by my Department, these provide details of individuals, families and dependents utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities.  These reports serve as important management information for my Department, the housing authority sector and the various State funded non-governmental organisations involved in the delivery of homeless services.  The data included in these reports is produced by housing authorities using the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS), which is the single integrated national data information system on emergency accommodation arrangements overseen by housing authorities. 

When PASS was being introduced in 2013, the domestic violence refuge sector declined to avail of its availability and usage within refuges and, consequently, it is not possible to include data in relation to refuges in my Department’s monthly reports.  Responsibility in relation to domestic violence services rests with Tusla, under the aegis of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and while my Department would be happy to discuss and facilitate the roll-out of PASS to refuges, the collection and management of data in relation to refuges is a matter for that Agency in the first instance.