Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht to discuss the provision of emergency, temporary and long-term accommodation for the homeless

Representatives from the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Simon Communities Ireland, Threshold and Focus Ireland will attend the meeting to discuss the issues with members of the Committee.

Chairman of the Committee, Ciarán Lynch, TD said: “Homelessness – whether it is people sleeping rough or in emergency accommodation or in insecure or unsafe housing – continues to be a major concern in Ireland.

Homeless affects people in many different ways. There are the obvious physical effects of not having a roof over your head or living rough on the streets or in emergency accommodation. However, homelessness is not just about housing and accommodation but also about physical and mental health due to the lack of safety, lack of belonging and lack of privacy. Therefore, the provision of emergency, temporary and long-term accommodation for the homeless is a key issue.

Tomorrow, we have an opportunity to meet with many of groups working on the frontline in dealing with homelessness and the causes of homelessness. The meeting will enable members of the Joint Committee to get an overview and also a thorough understanding of the major issues with regard to homelessness and allow them to raise any issues or concerns they may have on the matter.”

This meeting will take place on Tuesday, 18th October, in Committee Room 4, Leinster House 2000 at 2pm.

Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies:

Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party (Chairman)
Noel Coonan, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael
Tony McLoughlin, Fine Gael
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Gerald Nash, Labour Party
Seán Kenny, Labour Party
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil
Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Socialist Party
Catherine Murphy, Independent
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent
 
Senators:
Cáit Keane, Fine Gael
Catherine Noone, Fine Gael
Labhrás Ó’Murchú, Fianna Fáil
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Eamonn Coghlan, Independent