Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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453. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number beds for rough sleepers to be provided to the end of 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14771/18]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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454. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the closure of homelessness beds opened under the winter initiative in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14774/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 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 accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities and accordingly my Department has no function in relation to operational issues, which are a matter for the relevant housing authorities.

I continue to emphasise 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. As provision will be based on demand, it is not possible at this stage to give a figure for the number of beds that will be provided during 2018.

Cold Weather Initiatives operate across all local authorities to provide additional emergency beds for rough sleepers. 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 periods of cold weather. These beds are temporary in nature and it is a matter for individual local authorities to determine the period of their operation.