Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Mar 1995

Vol. 450 No. 4

Written Answers. - Accommodation for Homeless Children.

Eric J. Byrne

Question:

92 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Health if the Eastern Health Board is placing homeless children in a bed and breakfast accommodation in Buckingham Street, Dublin 1, a street that is widely known to be the centre of drug distribution and dealing in Dublin; and his views on whether bed and breakfast accommodation on this street is a suitable location to place homeless children. [5204/95]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Currie)

I understand that the Eastern Health Board has placed three young people, two aged 17 years and one aged 16 years, in bed and breakfast accommodation in Buckingham Street since January of this year. The placement of these young people in bed and breakfast accommodation in Buckingham Street was the only option available to the board at the relevant times. I might add however that the board has established a day service in Le Froy House in Eden Quay where a social worker and child care workers are available to provide assistance and support to homeless young people.

I do not regard the placement of children in bed and breakfast accommodation as an acceptable response to the problem of youth homelessness. If, in cases of emergency, there is no alternative to the placement of a homeless child in this type of accommodation, my Department has advised health boards that immediate steps should be taken to secure an appropriate hostel, residential or family placement for the child. The Eastern Health Board, in particular, is pursuing a number of strategies to reduce its use of bed and breakfast accommodation and the number of young people in such accommodation has been reduced significantly in the last few months. It would be my aim to eliminate the use of this form of accommodation altogether at the earliest possible date.