Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

776. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of persons sleeping rough voluntarily and involuntarily, respectively, in County Kildare in 2016, 2017 and January 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10172/18]

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

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 associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational issue in the day-to-day delivery of services and is a matter for Kildare County Council in the first instance.

I understand that the incidence of rough sleeping in Co. Kildare is limited to a small number of individuals with no one sleeping rough due to a lack of available services and when it does occur, housing authority-funded outreach workers will engage with the rough sleeper to encourage them to avail of services including accommodation. The local Homeless Action Team also meets on a regular basis to consider the accommodation needs and support requirements of those homeless in Kildare. The Housing Action Team includes participants from the Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection, the Probation Services, the Health Service Executive’s mental health service and addiction service, service providers and housing authority staff.