Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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104. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the work of the high level homeless taskforce established by his Department. [4838/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I have established a Homelessness Task Force, to provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working together to address homelessness and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government.

The Group has met on eight occasions to date, on the 13th, 20th and 27th of July, on the 14th and 21st of September, and on October 19th, November 16th and December 14th, 2020.

The Task Force has discussed, inter alia, commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government, Covid-19 and homeless services, winter planning, Budget 2021 and co-ordination and co-operation with the Department of Health and HSE. The Task Force is informing my role as Minister in providing necessary policy supports and funding, and is facilitating engagement amongst key stakeholders and partners in tackling homelessness.

Separate to meeting with these key stakeholders in this forum, both I and my Department officials have continued to have ongoing regular engagement with the members of the Task Force on homeless issues.