Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
445. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for amending the Housing Act 1988 to enable local authorities to combat homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16671/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level.
Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 outlines how local authorities can form an opinion on whether or not an individual/household shall be regarded as homeless, while section 10 outlines the actions that a local authority may take regarding the accommodation of those regarded as homeless.
My Department, along with nominated representatives of the local authority regional homelessness leads, undertook a review of sections 2 and 10 of the Housing Act 1988 in recognition of the significant changes in homelessness since the drafting of the Housing Act 1988 and to enable local authorities and homeless services to better address homelessness.
The review is now complete and potential amendments to the legislation are being considered by my Department. My Department is also engaging with stakeholders, including NGO partners, in relation to potential legislative amendments.
As part of the consultation process for the proposed amendments, I received feedback from stakeholders which raised issues which may require further policy consideration, including the availability of data in relation to the number of people who would be impacted by the proposed eligibility provisions. Therefore, my Department is conducting further research into the homelessness data in order to gain an up to date picture of the various cohorts accessing emergency homeless accommodation.
Any proposed changes to the legislation will be brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas in line with the normal legislative process.
