Vol. 440 No. 4
14 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment his response to the recent submission made by Focus Point calling for a national 24-hour emergency service to deal with the growing number of homeless people, for a White Paper on housing and for greater co-ordination between the statutory agencies responsible for homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I take it that the question relates to Focus Point's December 1993 pre-budget submission on homelessness and housing which, like most pre-budget submissions, sought additional funding for a range of services, including some which are the responsibility of other Ministers.
The 1994 budget provided a major increase in resources for the social housing programmes. The total provision of £244 million represents an increase of £93 million on expenditure in 1993. As a result, more than 9,000 households in need will be accommodated this year — an increase of 50 per cent in just two years. This will benefit the homeless in common with other categories of housing need. In regard to the homeless, I would specifically mention the increased funds for grants under section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988 which allows housing authorities to assist with the accommodation of homeless persons, and the voluntary housing capital assistance scheme, which funds a substantial number of projects to cater for homeless persons.
As regards a referral service, Dublin Corporation, in conjunction with the Eastern Health Board, has introduced an extended referral service for homeless persons in the board's area seeking accommodation outside the normal opening hours of the board's homeless persons unit.
In regard to a White Paper on Housing, the Government's policies for meeting social housing needs are set out in A Plan for Social Housing, in the Programme for a Partnership Government and in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. The operation of the measures in A Plan for Social Housing are currently being reviewed with a view to increasing their effectiveness, facilitating their implementation by local authorities and helping to realise their full potential to meet social housing needs. On completion of this review, it is intended to publish a document incorporating the outcome.
In regard to co-ordination between statutory agencies and voluntary bodies providing accommodation and services for homeless persons, housing authorities were issued with revised guidelines in September 1993, which called for the establishment of liaison arrangements between housing authorities and the relevant health board and voluntary organisations in their areas. As a result, a number of housing authorities have established local liaison committees with health board and voluntary body representation on them. In the case of the Dublin area, the Dublin Housing Forum was established by Dublin Corporation in August 1992 to monitor and assess trends in both the supply of and demand for accommodation for the homeless and to formulate an approach to meet existing and emerging needs.
I do not know where to begin. Will the Minister accept that the number of homeless persons has reached a crisis level of almost 3,000, a figure which has been disputed by voluntary bodies who consider it an under-estimation? The Minister is quoted as saying that nobody should be homeless and that accommodation is available for all homeless persons. Will he accept that is not the case and that the facilities for the homeless are overstretched? Focus Point stated that the problem is increasing at a marked pace. Is the Minister disturbed at the fact that the majority of those contacting Focus Point are under 30 years of age? Does he consider that the Government has a duty to deal with this national scandal of homeless people, adults and children? Last year 39 children were offered bed and breakfast accommodation. It is not sufficient for the Minister to tell us he is setting up monitoring committees. The question tabled requests a policy statement on homelessness which is a growing reality nationally. When will a national emergency service be set up for the homeless, particularly for young people who are either forced out of their home or leave voluntarily to live rough on the streets? Unfortunately, there are many reasons for homelessness.
There are many reasons for homelessness apart from lack of housing. My responsibility is for homeless adults; homeless children are the responsibility of the Department of Health and do not come within my remit.
That is part of the problem.
I do not accept that there is a continuing need for any person to sleep rough on the streets of Dublin. There is now provision for the homeless beyond the level of need and agencies working with the homeless in Dublin hold a similar view. We are upgrading existing accommodation which in many cases means the provision of new accommodation. For example, in most hostels accommodation consists of very small cell-like units and additional space is required to update such accommodation. We are updating current accommodation and providing new accommodation for those who are homeless. The emergency hostel still operates in Grangegorman and 120 new places will be available this year in Dublin city.
The figures for homelessness do not bear out the headlines which portray massive increases in the number of homeless persons. According to the 1993 assessment of homeless, carried out by the local authorities in consultation with voluntary agencies and the health boards, the national figure was 2,667 persons, a decrease of 84 on the 1991 figure. The number of homeless persons in Dublin city had increased by 111 to 1,648 persons. We must be clear about what we are talking when referring to homeless persons. Those living in a good standard of accommodation in the Iveagh Hostel in Dublin for the past 30 years are deemed homeless under the Act. Those who live permanently in hostels in Dublin are included in the figure for homeless persons. Simon, Focus Point and other voluntary agencies who deal with the homeless have calculated that there are approximately 30 adult people, mostly males, who cannot be facilitated in the normal hostel type accommodation because some do not want to associate with other people some of whom are violent. Those people are a cause of concern because there is a risk of them dying from cold when sleeping out at night. The hostel in Grangegorman caters for such people. There is not a continuing need for anybody in Ireland to sleep rough at night. Accommodation will be provided for them.
We have provided a free telephone service from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. and, if necessary, free transport is also provided to take people to accommodation. I had occasion one Saturday to use the free telephone service, but I did not say I was the Minister of State with responsibility for housing. I outlined the details of the problem to the person with whom I spoke and within 15 minutes the immediate housing needs of the person for whom I was making the representations were resolved. I compliment the people involved for that. The service extends to Kildare and Wicklow. We have asked those involved with the homeless in other cities to advise us on the need to extend the after hours service to their areas and we are considering that possibility.
I accept that there is no longer a need for people to sleep rough on our streets and that great strides have been made in that regard. On the Department's overall co-ordinating policy role, is it not a dichotomy that the Minister's Department has responsibility for adults but not for children? There may be liaison at local level, but the Minister's Department should have a co-ordinating role in that regard. When may we expect to see a co-ordination of the agency services to provide for adult and child homelessness?
I accept the Deputy's point. Discussions between the Department of the Environment and the Department of Health are taking place concerning that matter. However, it would be more appropriate for those discussions to take place, as is the case, at the Dublin Housing Forum which is the co-ordinating body dealing with the problem. It is representative of the health board, local authorities and the voluntary agencies, including Focus Point. The forum is formulating policy in this area and making various proposals. We are seeking to implement many of the recommendations they have made so far. The forum concept is a new one and is working well.
Will the Minister agree that the regulations of the Department of Social Welfare which provide that young people living with their parents may not qualify for social welfare benefit is one of the factors contributing to homelessness and that the implementation of other departmental policies also contributes to the problem? Should there not be greater liaison between the Departments of the Environment, Health and Social Welfare to help solve this problem? Would it not be preferable that young people living at home received half of what they would be entitled to otherwise in social welfare payments and remained at home instead of having to leave home in order to qualify for the full amount and in the process, perhaps, become homeless?
The level of social welfare payments to social welfare recipients living at home is a matter for the Minister for Social Welfare.
The Minister should liaise with the Minister for Social Welfare.
Regardless of the merits of a White Paper on this matter, is the Minister aware that while we are awaiting the formulation of policy to deal with this problem, the trade union, IMPACT, has instructed its members who are social workers in the Eastern Health Board area, that homeless children are not to be referred to bed and breakfast accommodation? In view of the possible serious consequences of such policy is the Minister prepared to enter into negotiations with IMPACT to alleviate the problem?
I do not wish to take from the seriousness of the matter raised by the Deputy but responsibility for providing for homeless children rests with the Minister for Health and the matter should be referred to him. I do not agree that there is delay in the formulation of policy. The policy is clearly outlined in a number of documents to which I referred in my reply.
Would the Minister agree that perhaps the most important feature of the Focus Point approach is that it has developed a preventative approach to this problem to ensure that an increasing number of people do not become homeless whereas he has not really responded to the question of prevention as opposed to the provision of emergency accommodation? Would he agree that, for example, a woman who has been sleeping in her car in south Wicklow will not get value from a Dublin emergency service which is effectively the only service provided at present? This is not only a Dublin problem. There has been a big increase in the number of evictions and many of those concerned have nowhere to turn to seek refuge. The Minister has concentrated on providing a service in Dublin, I do not represent a Dublin constituency but I represent people who have been evicted and who do not wish to uproot their families to move to Dublin to avail of emergency accommodation. Those people have a right to consideration. The problem requires a national emergency service including a telephone service and something other than the ad hoc present arrangement which depends on voluntary bodies who come out of the woodwork to provide assistance where possible.
The extension of the referral service covers Counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin.
The service is of no use to people outside Dublin.
It is of use to them. The freefone number is 1800 724724. The people manning that line from 5 o'clock in the evening to 1 o'clock in the morning will liaise with the statutory agencies in County Wicklow who are obliged to make available a list of places where emergency accommodation can be provided for people living in Wicklow.
There are no such places.
There are such places in County Wicklow and people are accommodated on an emergency basis. I have regular discussions with Focus Point and other voluntary agencies. I am instructed by their experience and expertise in this area and would take on board their views. Discussions take place regularly with them and I will continue to be instructed by them as they are people working at the coalface, as it were, and who, therefore, know the situation better than anyone else.
I assure the House that although I am tempted at times to dismiss people I have no intention of doing so.
I welcome the assurance of the Minister that he does not intend to dismiss anyone, I am sure that was a Labour proposal.
