Written answers

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Department of Justice and Equality

Departmental Data

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1362. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners who were released from prison to emergency homeless accommodation or no pre-arranged accommodation in each month in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30593/22]

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1363. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners who were categorised as homeless committed on remand and under sentence in each month in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30594/22]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1362 and 1363 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, measures to address homelessness and the provision of accommodation to persons vulnerable to homelessness are the responsibility of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

I am advised that Local Authorities maintain statistics regarding people accessing homeless services on the “PASS” system.  The Irish Prison Service does not have access to this information.

The Prison Service does maintain regular contact with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Local Authorities regarding the release of prisoners who have identified themselves to prison services as homeless or at risk of homelessness. The objective of the Service is that all releases are planned in order to support offenders to make informed and effective transitions from prison to the community.

I am advised that, when a sentenced prisoner informs prison authorities that they were homeless prior to coming into custody, or that they are at risk of homelessness on release, they are referred to the prison-based resettlement service. The Resettlement Service works with the prisoner and the relevant Local Authority to complete their social housing application and identify possible accommodation solutions in preparation for their release and reintegration to the community.

I am also advised that the Irish Prison Service does not record statistics in the specific format requested by the Deputy.  However, statistics are available from 2020 to date, broken down by Local Authority and these are provided in the tables below. Table 1 provides details of the number of committals where the person declared that they were of ‘no fixed abode’ or ‘address not stated’ at the point of committal.

Table 1. Number of prisoners who declared homeless status on committal to prison

The table below sets out the number of committals who cited ‘No Fixed Abode’ or ‘Address Not Stated’ on committal to prison. An individual can be committed on more than one occasion in a given year, for example, committed on a remand warrant in January and again on a sentence warrant in July. 

Year 2020 Year 2021 Year 2022 (up to and including 31 May 2022)
Committal

Month
Remand Sentence Total Remand Sentence Total Remand Sentence Total
January 23 32 55 12 23 35 16 26 42
February 32 29 61 17 26 43 13 31 44
March 19 26 45 12 30 42 21 16 37
April 11 14 25 13 23 36 18 20 38
May 9 20 29 11 29 40 26 26 52
June 16 16 32 14 29 43
July 17 22 39 12 23 35
August 14 13 27 15 8 23
September 16 17 33 8 22 30
October 20 15 35 27 23 50
November 26 19 45 22 20 42
December 21 12 33 20 8 28
Grand Total 224 235 459 183 264 447 94 119 213

Total Committals in Year 2020 = 6,340 

Total Committals in Year 2021 = 6,133

Total Committals in Year 2022 (up to and including 31 May) = 3,085*. 

*numbers may be subject to change pending the publication of the Annual Report 2022. 

Tables 2.1 to 2.3 provide details of the number of sentenced prisoners who engaged with the resettlement service prior to their release, completed an application for social housing and who were released from prison to attend public housing appointments for emergency homeless accommodation.The Prison Service advise that the application for social housing can be submitted months or days in advance of the release date dependent on the timing of the prisoner’s voluntary declaration of homelessness, which influences opportunities for response. 

These tables do not include prisoners on remand, or prisoners who did not declare their homeless status to prison authorities prior to release, or prisoners who choose not to avail of the assistance of the resettlement service, as this information is not available.

2. Tables of sentenced prisoners who applied to the Resettlement Service for social housing in advance of release and who presented for emergency homeless service provision on the day of release.

2.1 - 18 March 2020 to 31 December 2020

Local Authority Total sentenced prisoners who applied via Resettlement Service for social housing in advance of release and who presented for emergency homeless service provision on day of release - 18/03/2020 and 31/12/2020
Carlow 2
Cavan 2
Clare 9
Cork City 20
Cork County 14
Donegal 4
Dublin City 64
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown 4
Fingal 3
Galway 4
Galway 9
South Dublin 9
Kerry 4
Kildare 1
Kilkenny 8
Laois 3
Limerick City & County 12
Longford 2
Louth 4
Mayo 1
Meath 2
Monaghan 0
Offaly 6
Roscommon 1
Sligo 2
Tipperary 9
Waterford City & County 10
Westmeath 8
Wexford 4
Wicklow 3
Total 224
Total number of people released* 5,753

*people can be released more than once in a year.

Table 2.2 - 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

Local Authority Total sentenced prisoners who applied via Resettlement Service for social housing in advance of release and who presented for emergency homeless service provision on day of release - 01/01/2021 and 31/12/2021
Carlow 3
Cavan 0
Clare 10
Cork City 38
Cork County 21
Donegal 4
Dublin City 62
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown 0
Fingal 4
Galway County 7
Galway City 6
South Dublin 2
Kerry 8
Kildare 0
Kilkenny 5
Laois 6
Leitrim 0
Limerick City & County 24
Longford 2
Louth 2
Mayo 1
Meath 2
Monaghan 2
Offaly 2
Roscommon 0
Sligo 5
Tipperary 14
Waterford City & County 5
Westmeath 9
Wexford 3
Wicklow 2
Total 249
Total people released* 5289

Table 2.3 - 1 January 2022 to 8 June 2022

Local Authority Total sentenced prisoners who applied via Resettlement Service for social housing in advance of release and who presented for emergency homeless service provision on day of release - 01/01/2022 and 08/06/2022
Carlow 3
Cavan 0
Clare 2
Cork City 16
Cork County 9
Donegal 3
Dublin City 24
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown 3
Fingal 5
Galway County 1
Galway City 2
South Dublin 2
Kerry County 5
Kildare County 2
Kilkenny County 1
Laois 3
Leitrim 0
Limerick City & County 7
Longford 1
Louth 4
Mayo 2
Meath 1
Monaghan 2
Offaly 1
Roscommon 1
Sligo 1
Tipperary 3
Waterford City & County 2
Westmeath 1
Wexford 4
Wicklow 2
Total 113
Total people released to end May 2022* 2480

Table 3 provides details of sentenced prisoners who engaged with the resettlement service where a bed placement was identified by the Local Authority in advance of the release date.

Table 3- Total number of sentenced prisoners who applied via Resettlement Service for social housing in advance of release and had bed placement identified by Local Authority in advance of release date – 18 March 2020 to 3 June 2022

Local Authority Total  sentenced prisoners who applied  via Resettlement Service for social housing in advance of release and had bed placement identified by Local Authority in advance of release date – 18 March 2020 to 3 June 2022
Carlow 1
Cavan 4
Clare 2
Donegal 1
Cork City 47
Cork County 12
Dublin City 126
Direct Provision/IPAS 4
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown 8
Fingal 13
Galway County 4
Galway City 3
Kerry 12
Kildare 9
Kilkenny 3
Limerick 5
Laois 5
Leitrim 1
Longford 1
Louth 1
Mayo 2
Meath 8
Monaghan 2
Offaly 2
South Dublin 25
Roscommon 2
Sligo 7
Tipperary 5
Waterford 8
Westmeath 4
Wexford 3
Wicklow 2
Total 332

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