Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

88. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide the homelessness figures for counties Louth and Meath, respectively, in tabular form; the number of persons on each housing waiting list; and the numbers on HAP in each county. [62132/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The Reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/ and via the Government’s Open Data Portal, data.gov.ie/

The most recently published data is in respect of October 2021 and shows that there were 170 adults in emergency accommodation in Meath during the October count week. County Meath is part of the Mid East region for the purposes of homeless reporting, along with Kildare and Wicklow. The combined Mid East region reported 55 families, with 122 dependants associated with these families, in emergency accommodation in October 2021.

County Louth is part of the North East region for the purposes of homeless reporting, along with Cavan and Monaghan. The combined North East region reported 81 adults in emergency accommodation for October 2021. North-East homelessness data are currently reported as a single entry as where fewer than ten individuals are recorded in a county, data is aggregated with adjacent counties in line with best practice described in the Irish Statistical System Code of Practice (ISSCOP). There were nine families, with 18 dependants associated with these families, in emergency accommodation in the North-East region in October 2021.

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area are provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 6,813 households or 9.9% on the last assessment in June 2019. Since 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 61,880, a reduction of 32.4%.

Below is the link to the summary report for 2020 which includes breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories. www.gov.ie/en/publication/970ea-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2020-key-findings/#:~:text=The%20Summary%20of%20Social%20Housing,is%20not%20currently%20being%20met

The 2021 Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) process is currently underway and the summary report will be published in due course.

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate form of social housing support for people with a long-term housing need. Any household assessed by their local authority as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. These households must find their own accommodation in the private rental sector.

The HAP scheme started in 2014 and at the end of Q3 2021, 97,600 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 62,300 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 33,600 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.

The table below shows the number of active HAP tenancies at the end of Q3 2021 for Louth and Meath County Councils.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

89. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will provide funding to ensure children living in emergency homeless accommodation can access transport to school; and if funding is currently available for this purpose. [62137/21]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

90. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will engage with the Minister for Education to ensure that children living in emergency homeless accommodation can access transport to school. [62138/21]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

91. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will engage with the Minister for Social Protection to allow families in emergency accommodation to access an exceptional needs payment to pay for taxis for their children to go to school. [62139/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 to 91, 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 the local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 sets out the purposes for which costs may be incurred by housing authorities in respect of the provision of homeless accommodation and related services.  

My Department has provided funding towards an initiative to provide access to free public transport for essential school journeys for homeless families residing in temporary emergency accommodation in the Dublin Region. The Dublin Region Homeless Executive oversees the implementation of this initiative and, working in partnership with the National Transport Authority, has put arrangements in place for the provision of Leap cards to the families concerned.

Outside of this arrangement, the Community Welfare Service of the Department of Social Protection may consider, on a case-by-case basis, providing for costs associated with the transport needs of homeless families under the Exceptional Needs Payments scheme. This provision is available to all homeless families outside of the Dublin Region.