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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 7

Adjournment Debate. - Homelessness in Dublin.

Last night in Dublin the temperature fell to below freezing. The approximately 200 or so homeless people who found themselves on the streets were forced to curl up on sheets of cardboard in doorways. Only a few thin blankets lay between them and the freezing air. Among those sleeping rough was a ten year old boy who, because his mother is dead and his father is an alcoholic, has been living on the streets for the past year according to The Irish Times today. Is this a symbol of our Celtic tiger economy? Young families are sleeping in bed and breakfast accommodation and are forced to roam the streets every day. Hostels for the homeless are full to capacity and even those who want to stay in a hostel are being turned down on a nightly basis because of overcrowding. Meanwhile, on a weekly basis, the number of people sleeping on the streets of Dublin is rocketing.

It is estimated that approximately 4,000 adults and almost 1,000 children are now homeless in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow regions. If this pattern is reflected nationwide, we can estimate that more than 10,000 people are without a roof over their heads in our land of plenty. This is an embarrassing and shameful statistic. The Minister for State has admitted that the rate of homelessness has doubled in the past three years. There is no doubt that this increase is a further manifestation of the half-hearted housing policy which this Government is presiding over, although I acknowledge that homelessness has wider roots than the housing issue.

Surely the Minister of State and his Government cannot stand over an economy which deprives so many people of the basic right of a roof over their heads? Can the Government stand over the advice a young woman who appeared on "Prime Time" last night said she was given? She said she was advised to have a baby so that she and her partner could qualify for a flat. As we approach Christmas and the celebrations to mark the new millennium, it is worth giving some consideration to what is being done to ensure that people without a home are given the supports and services they deserve.

The Government's sub-committee on the millennium has been the target of much criticism, but my single most significant criticism of it is that its plans are void of any significant projects to tackle our homelessness problem. Babies born on New Year's Day and their parents will be adorned with gifts from the Government; every household in the country will receive a special edition candle and millions of pounds will be spent on fireworks and festivities. At the same time as all this silliness pervades, there will be 10,000 homeless people on our streets, approximately 2,000 of whom will be children.

Who wants to celebrate the millennium when more than 10,000 of their fellow citizens are curled up in doorways and on street corners? We would all live without a candle if we could be assured that every homeless person was given a roof over his head at the turn of the millennium. The call by Focus Ireland to invest £195 million over the next five years to deal with growing homelessness is the correct one. We are now in a position to make this investment, but it appears that the political will is not there to allow it to happen. What is required is a national strategy on homelessness which would ensure that people are not let fall though the system. The disgrace of children, young adults in need of drug rehabilitation and older people sleeping on our streets cannot be allowed to continue. I appreciate that the Eastern Health Board last week launched its strategy on homelessness, but the scope of the problem goes beyond their plans. There is a need for more than just accommodation. Counselling services, rehabilitation services for addicts and alcoholics and guidance with a career path are all elements of a national strategy that could make a meaningful dent in our homeless population.

The most immediate requirement, particularly at this very cold time of the year, is to ensure that people are taken in off the streets. I appeal to the Government to take whatever steps are necessary, including the requisitioning of buildings, to ensure that as we enter the festive season, the turn of the millennium, and celebrate the life of a family who was homeless 2000 years ago, nobody has to sleep rough in the cold weather at this time of the year and that a roof and safe bed of some kind are provided for every citizen in the State over the coming season.

The local authorities in the Dublin area, which includes Dublin Corporation and Fingal, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils, are responsible for the provision of accommodation for homeless people in their areas. Apart from their housing programmes, the local authorities have wide powers under the Housing Act, 1988, to provide or fund the provision of emergency accommodation for homeless people.

In the Dublin area the Eastern Health Board arranges emergency accommodation on behalf of the Dublin local authorities for homeless people. The cost is met by the Dublin local authorities and the Department of the Environment and Local Government recoups 90% of the local authorities' expenditure involved. In addition, Dublin Corporation provides funding to voluntary bodies towards the running cost of the accommodation and settlement and hostel based care and support services provided and operated by them.

Last week Dublin Corporation together with the Eastern Health Board launched their joint programme for the homeless in the Dublin area. The following initiatives were announced. Additional accommodation facilities have been sourced and brought on-stream. More accommodation has been identified and will be brought on-stream as quickly as possible. The focus is on the provision of sheltered accommodation for homeless persons who are long-term residents of hostels, which are primarily intended to be available as emergency accommodation. Individual agency services have been amalgamated in one central facility based at Parkgate Hall, Conyngham Road, which will be completed by the end of 2000. The Dublin Corporation homeless policy unit, the Eastern Health Board homeless persons services and personnel from the Homeless Initiative will be located there. Special outreach and resettlement services are being developed, which will work with the voluntary agencies and target people who are living and sleeping rough on the streets. It is intended this service will commence in January 2000.

In addition, the resettlement officers will work with residents of hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation with the aim of moving them to more long-term and appropriate facilities. Co-ordinated services, including welfare, medical and other support resources, are being developed by the Eastern Health Board. These services will be co-ordinated by a dedicated service co-ordinator in each community care area, commencing with the north and south inner city in January 2000. The Homeless Initiative has developed a programme to improve and develop the quality and practice of services to the homeless.

The contribution by the other local authorities in the Dublin area towards the provision of services to homeless people is increasing each year. The Homeless Initiative has facilitated the establishment of working groups to identify local needs and appropriate responses to these needs. Each of the groups will develop an action plan to tackle the problem of homelessness in their own areas. The Eastern Health Board has appointed a general manager with specific responsibility for homelessness. Dublin Corporation will appoint a senior official to head up services for the homeless from early in the new year. Both individuals will work closely together and will be based eventually at Parkgate Hall.

Homelessness can be a complex social problem and addiction can sometimes play a large part in people becoming homeless. The provision of accommodation will not suffice on its own. Accompanying support services will also be required. For this reason, an extra allocation of £5 million over the next two years was included in the recent budget for the provision of two high support hostels in Dublin for homeless people suffering from drug and alcohol addictions. This funding will be available to Dublin Corporation to build or acquire and redevelop suitable premises for this purpose and is additional to the funding provided for their existing programmes.

I am satisfied that a structured and co-ordinated approach is being taken by Dublin Corporation, the Eastern Health Board is addressing all aspects relating to homelessness and there is general acceptance that the provision of accommodation is not the only requirement. There is an increasing level of closer working with the volun tary bodies providing services for the homeless. Homelessness is a priority matter that is being addressed and I am confident we will make substantial progress in delivering the appropriate responses.

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