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

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.   

A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009.  Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services and funding required in each region are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum. It is a matter for the Management Group to bring forward proposals to my Department that meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area and the funding requirements will be considered in this context. Therefore, the exact amounts spent by housing authorities on homeless services, as well as the type and operation of homeless services including the number of places in accommodation and the numbers turned away are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.

I am aware of the pressures currently being experienced in accessing Emergency Accommodation nationwide and local authorities are working to address these, with assistance from my Department where necessary. A range of measures have been introduced to tackle accommodation shortages and in terms of the provision of Emergency Accommodation, and funding for all required homeless services will be provided this year.