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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 1986

Vol. 370 No. 13

Written Answers. - Homeless Boys Accommodation.

16.

asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has received from the task force appointed by him on 3 November last to arrange for the establishment of an alternative service for homeless boys to replace the HOPE hostel; when it is expected that the alternative service will be in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

On 3 November I announced the setting up of a special task force to arrange for the establishment of an alternative service to replace that which had been provided by the HOPE hostel.

The task force submitted their report to me on 25 November. They recommended that funds be made available immediately to facilitate the provision of a new hostel service for homeless boys and also an associated outreach social work service. Premises at Percy Place had been identified for the hostel service which, the task force recommended, should be run by a broadly based management committee under the auspices of the Catholic Social Service Conference. It was recommended also that the Eastern Health Board should recruit five additional social workers who would be attached to the board's homeless persons service and would provide, inter alia, support services to the hostel. On 26 November I informed the Eastern Health Board that I had accepted all the recommendations of the task force and that I would allocate the necessary additional resources to facilitate the immediate provision of both the hostel and social work service.

The present position is that the broadly based management committee have been formed to run the new hostel and have met on a number of occasions. Following public advertisement on 30 November the majority of the necessary staff have already been recruited. I understand that the hostel opened on an informal basis last Monday and the service will be operational from Thursday, 18 December.

I wish to express my warm appreciation to the fine members of the task force and the management committee for their outstanding co-operation in meeting this urgent social need.

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