Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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282. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has issued instructions to local authorities directing that local connection rules are not applied to homeless persons seeking emergency accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42782/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. 

Under the Housing Act 1988 it is a matter for each local authority to determine whether a person is regarded as homeless and section 2 of the Act sets out the requirements in this regard.  When a household has been assessed as homeless, section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, provides that a local authority may provide accommodation and related services to that household.  It is particularly important that local authorities address homelessness at the point which it occurs during this pandemic at a time when we are seeking, as a nation, to keep movement between counties to a minimum.  It is through actions such as these that we have so far been able to keep Covid-19 infection rates relatively low in homeless services.

On 9 December 2020, I wrote to the Chief Executives of all local authorities in relation to the emergency response to rough sleeping during Covid-19 and the cold weather period.  I acknowledged that they and their teams have worked diligently to ensure that people who need shelter can receive it and I asked that they continue these efforts and exercise discretion to ensure that the most vulnerable on our streets do not end up sleeping without shelter during these extraordinary times due to a local connection in not being from the area. I will keep this matter under close review to ensure its effectiveness and to avoid any unforeseen negative unintended consequences.

Over the past year our public services have displayed an admirable capacity for swift responsiveness to the global pandemic, meeting challenges where and when they arose. The work of our homeless services has been exemplary in this regard.