Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 4

Written Answers. - Homeless Persons.

Ivor Callely

Question:

156 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the breakdown of the age and gender of the 3,640 homeless people in Dublin, in view of the approximate 900 bed places available to the homeless; and if he will outline the likely other bed places where homeless people can refuge safely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18863/00]

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

According to the assessment of housing needs which was compiled in March 1999, there were 3,640 homeless people in the Dublin Corporation area. Details on the breakdown of the age and gender of these people are set out in the following table. These figures are based on a broad definition of homeless persons which includes those who have no accommodation, those in hostels and in health board accommodation and those staying with friends.

Persons	Number
Homeless Adult Males	1,774
Homeless Adult Females	990
Homeless Children	876

While 3,640 persons were identified as homeless in the Dublin Corporation area in the assessment of housing needs in March 1999, not all would be seeking emergency accommodation. Some would stay with family or friends until more suitable accommodation became available. Persons who present as homeless are referred to hostels subject to availability. Otherwise they are accommodated in bed and breakfast accommodation.

It is estimated that there are approximately 900 bed places available for homeless people in hostels in the Dublin city area. The description "hostel accommodation" is a broad one and includes refuges, long-term, transitional or medium-term accommodation where people can stay for varying periods and overnight accommodation occupied every day, although in some cases the same persons might come back nightly.

As part of the Government's strategy on homelessness, additional accommodation and a wider variety of accommodation will be provided to address the needs of all homeless persons. Capital funding for the provision of local authority hostel accommodation has been doubled over the next five years from £20 million to £40 million for this purpose.

Ivor Callely

Question:

157 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will give a breakdown of the recoupment for the provision of accommodation for homeless people and asylum seekers over the past five years; the use of bed and breakfast, hotels and other such accommodation for such recoupment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18864/00]

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

My Department recoups 90% and 100% respectively of the expenditure incurred by local authorities on the provision of accommodation for homeless people and emergency accommodation for asylum seekers. Details of recoupment by my Department for the period 1995 to 1999 are set out in the following table. The recoupment on homelessness includes payments for hostel and emergency bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless persons, together with other services for homeless persons such as referral and settlement services.

Year	Total Recoupment	Recoupment onHomelessness	Recoupment on Asylum Seekers
	£m	£m	£m
1999	22.195	9.956	12.239
1998	20.820	3.820	17.000The recoupment on asylum seekers was particularly high in 1998 due to the rise in the number of asylum seekers that year who were accommodated in emergency bed and breakfast accommodation. The recoupment fell in 1999 as some of these asylum seekers would have moved to private rented accommodation and would have been in receipt of SWA from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.
1997	6.000	3.500	2.500
1996	3.090	3.090	–
1995	2.214	2.214	–

Hostel accommodation is the main source of accommodation for homeless persons. The description "hostel accommodation" is a broad one and includes long-term, transitional or medium-term accommodation where people can stay for varying periods and overnight accommodation vacated every day although in some cases the same persons might come back nightly. In addition to the availability of hostel accommodation, bed and breakfast accommodation is also used to accommodate homeless people, where necessary. No separate figures are available to my Department on the cost of this type of accommodation.

With regard to emergency accommodation for asylum seekers, my Department recoups the cost of full-board accommodation and emergency bed and breakfast accommodation. The sourcing of such accommodation is a matter for the directorate of asylum seeker services in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.