Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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40. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding given to the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive in 2021 and 2022, respectively. [26613/22]

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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. 

My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988.  Under Exchequer funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources.  Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Exchequer funding arrangements provided by my Department.   

Exchequer funding for homeless services is provided by my Department on a regional basis. The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive provides a shared service of behalf of the four local authorities in the Dublin Region. Some €173m was provided in Exchequer funding from my Department to the Dublin Region in 2021 with €50m in funding recouped to date in 2022.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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41. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will extend homeless HAP nationally given rising homeless rates. [26614/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals.  At the end of Q4 2021, over 100,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 61,900 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 33,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme. 

Under HAP, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market.  However, additional supports are available under HAP for homeless households or households at risk of homelessness.  While eligible households or individuals may source accommodation for themselves under the Homeless HAP scheme, a dedicated resource, the Place Finder Service, has been established nationwide to provide assistance. The Place Finder Service can assist qualified households in finding suitable tenancies by ensuring that any additional supports that may be needed are put in place. The operation of local homeless services, including the Place Finder Service, is a matter for each local authority.

Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it.  It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis. Additional discretion of up to 50% above rent limits is available to assist in housing homeless households in the Dublin Region only.

Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of the 20% discretion available to local authorities under HAP is required, in order to maintain adequate levels of HAP support. 

The Housing Agency undertook to carry out this analytical exercise on behalf of my Department. The review has been submitted and is undergoing analysis by my Department. I expect to receive recommendations following that analysis, which will conclude shortly.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has requested that Cork City Council collate figures on premature deaths of single adult homeless population. [26615/22]

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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at the local level.

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.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data

While the Dublin Region Homeless Executive records death notifications from all its funded residential and outreach services, in line with procedure agreed with the HSE, my Department does not collate information relating to deaths of homeless individuals and has not requested Cork City Council to collate such figures.

A pilot study on data collection of homeless deaths nationally is being undertaken by the Health Research Board (HRB) on behalf of the Department of Health. It is hoped that the HRB will be in a position to publish the study shortly. The research is applying the methodology used to compile the National Drug Related Deaths Index, which is a census of drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent in Ireland. The data collection for 2019 deaths, including deaths among people who were homeless, involves the review of approximately 17,000 files from all Coroner districts. My Department will engage with the Department of Health on completion of this study.

It is vital that we continue to deliver the appropriate measures to support all individuals experiencing homelessness. My Department is working closely with the Department of Health, the HSE and local authorities in doing this.