Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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276. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress that has been made since 2014 to implement a fully functioning homeless persons unit in counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath; the strategic planning that has been undertaken to deal with the identified demand for such a unit; the way in which the data is being collated; the other stakeholders involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52474/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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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 accommodation and the day-to-day delivery of services for homeless persons, which the Deputy refers to are a matter for individual housing authorities. 

It should be noted that homeless services are administered at regional level across the country and the counties of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow form the mid-east region. In each region a Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum exists, which includes representation from the relevant State and non-governmental organisations involved in the delivery of homeless services in the particular region.  A statutory Management Group exists for each regional forum, comprised of representatives from the relevant housing authorities and the Health Service Executive, and it is the responsibility of the Management Group to consider issues around the need for homeless services and to plan for the implementation, funding and co-ordination of such services. 

In relation to the collation of data, the Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS) is operated nationally in all State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities.  Housing authorities produce reports on homelessness on a monthly basis which are collated and published to my Department's website:

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.