Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of residential properties allocated for use as emergency accommodation during Covid-19 during 2020 and in 2021 to date by county in tabular form. [34396/21]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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209. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of residential properties allocated for use as emergency accommodation during Covid-19 that were utilised in 2020 and to date in 2021, by county in tabular form. [34397/21]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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210. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average letting period that residential properties allocated for use as emergency accommodation during Covid-19 were utilised for in 2020 and to date in 2021, by county. and to date in 2021, by county. [34398/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 210, inclusive, 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 emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. This includes the provision of units or properties that are used for households that are in emergency accommodation that may be required to self isolate for COVID-19 purposes.

The number and type of properties provided is an operational issue for the relevant housing authorities in consultation with the HSE. From a strategic perspective, in the context of the overall response to COVID-19, my Department is in regular contact with local authorities to ensure the availability of sufficient bed capacity to facilitate the isolation of suspected or confirmed cases that arise in homeless services.