Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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513. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps being taken to ensure that all persons sleeping rough are accommodated as a long-term measure rather than a short-term and reactive one over the Christmas 2017 season. [51471/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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At last September's Housing Summit, I emphasised the need for all housing authorities to have sufficient capacity in emergency accommodation and to have appropriate facilities in place for every person sleeping rough, on any night of the week. I also instructed the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, at that time, to set about ensuring the delivery of 200 additional permanent emergency beds by Christmas, in a range of new facilities across the city. 50 of the 200 permanent beds are now in place and the remaining 150 emergency beds will be brought into use over the coming days, with all being in place by mid-December.

As the weather becomes colder, my Department has also been working with local authorities to ensure that their Cold Weather Initiatives are in place. These arrangements ensure that additional temporary beds can be brought into use across a range of existing services and facilities for singles and couples who need them during cold weather periods.

The long-term solution to the current homeless crisis is, clearly, to increase the supply of homes for those who need them. Under Rebuilding Ireland, 50,000 new social housing homes will be delivered over the period to 2021, supported by €6 billion in funding.

A key mechanism for dealing with homeless individuals is through the Housing First Programme, which supports homeless individuals move from emergency accommodation to independent living. 180 tenancies have been established under this Programme to date.

This programme is being prioritised and it is expected that a National Director of Housing First will be appointed shortly to drive the programme. This post will be critical in supporting those who sleep rough or reside in hostel accommodation to enter into independent living arrangements.