Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to address the rising number of elderly persons that are now homeless; his further plans to arrest the escalation of the number of persons in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19695/18]

Damien English (Meath West, 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 homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities.

The March homelessness report published last week shows that 2% of the 6,035 adults accessing emergency accommodation during March were aged 65 or over. While the proportion of homeless adults who are in this age category has remained relatively static since we began collating this information in 2014, numbers have risen overall, in line with increases in presentations across all demographics, and there are now 49 more people over 65s in emergency accommodation than there were in December 2014.

The long-term housing needs of families and individuals, including the elderly, who are in emergency accommodation, will be met through a range of social housing supports such as the Housing Assistance Payment scheme and through general social housing allocations. Significant progress is being made and in 2017 4,729 individuals exited emergency accommodation into independent tenancies, a 54% increase on the 3,079 recorded in the previous year.

It is a priority for me and my Department to continue to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness. In addition, the issue of housing for older people more generally will be addressed in a joint policy statement between my Department and the Department of Health, which will be published this summer.

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the range of statutory powers that will be afforded to the new borough councils which will be created by his Department; and if financial autonomy will be afforded to them. [19835/18]