Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 3 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 4

Written Answers. - Housing Policy.

John Gormley

Question:

108 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the targets, if any, his Department has set up in regard to tackling the issue of homelessness; the resources, if any, being provided by his Department on the achievement of these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6324/99]

John Gormley

Question:

109 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the measures, if any, developed by the cross department team on the homeless under the chair of his Department; the agencies where responsibility for the implementation of these measures will lie; the structure which will be put in place to monitor the effectiveness of these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6325/99]

John Gormley

Question:

110 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of people considered homeless by his Department; the percentage of these people under 20; the steps, if any, being taken to resolve this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6326/99]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 109 and 110 together.

I refer to the replies to Questions Nos. 211, 212 and 213 of 9 December 1998 and Questions Nos. 265, 266, 267, 268 and 269 of 1 December 1998 in relation to the measures available to address homelessness, the assessment of homelessness to be carried out this month and the remit of the cross-Department team on homelessness established to develop measures for an integrated response to the issues which affect homeless people.

I expect the report from the cross-Department team to be completed in the near future. At that stage, I expect that the matters of responsibility for the implementation of recommendations and any monitoring of measures recommended in the report will be considered.

Under the Housing Act, 1988, the determination of whether a person is homeless is a matter for each local authority having regard to the definition of homelessness in the Act. The returns from local authorities, details of which are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins which are available in the Oireachtas Library, do not include particulars on the age of homeless people. Responsibility in relation to homeless people under 18 years of age rests with the health boards under the Child Care Act, 1991.