Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

289. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which emergency housing accommodation is available to Kildare County Council to accommodate the increasing emergency housing need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45486/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

292. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the degree to which he expects to meet the imminent housing demand following the displacement of persons from private accommodation for a variety of reasons, including repossession and the immediate needs of such persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45489/17]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 292 together.

My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities.  My Department has no function in relation to operational issues, such as placements into emergency accommodation, which are a matter for the relevant housing authorities.

Under the Housing Act 1988, it is a matter for the housing authority concerned to determine whether a person is regarded as homeless.  Any person regarded as homeless by a housing authority may be placed into temporary emergency accommodation, which the housing authority may arrange itself or which may be operated by a State-funded service provider.  I am satisfied that housing authorities, including Kildare County Council, are making every effort to provide the most suitable accommodation available to homeless households seeking emergency accommodation

The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness comprises a range of actions to tackle homelessness and to assist families residing in emergency accommodation. It is evident that the long-term solution to the current homelessness crisis is to increase the supply of new homes, across all forms of housing, to 25,000 per annum by 2020. Over one year into the plan, all of the key statistical indicators point to a significant scaling up of housing activity, with planning permissions, commencement notices and ESB residential connections all increasing substantially.  With over 19,000 households having had their social housing needs met in 2016,  I expect that a further 21,000 such supports will be delivered in 2017.

With regard to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), there are currently more than 28,500 households being supported by the scheme and over 14,500 of these households commenced HAP support since the beginning of 2017; more than 350 households are being set up on HAP each week in 2017.

It is intended that the long-term housing needs of households in emergency accommodation will be met through a range of social housing supports such as the HAP scheme and through general social housing allocations.  Significant progress is being made, with over 3,000 sustainable exits from homelessness into independent tenancies being achieved in 2016, and 2,000 further such exits being achieved during the first half of 2017. 

It should be noted that Budget 2018 provides for a national allocation of €116 million for homeless services - an additional €18 million, or 18%, on this year's provision of €98m, and a 66% increase on the 2016 provision of €70m.