Vol. 558 No. 3
209 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason the Government chose to omit from national anti-poverty strategy targets on youth homelessness, emergency accommodation or transitional accommodation for homeless people which were negotiated with the social partners and published in the framework document which accompanied it; and if targets will be included to end homelessness in the mainstream NAPS agenda. [24117/02]
In developing the revised NAPS, launched in February, the Government recognised the cross-cutting nature of poverty and exclusion and set key targets in a wide number of policy areas. In relation to homelessness the key target was that, by the end of 2004, sufficient and appropriate emergency accommodation would be available to rough sleepers, in conjunction with appropriate outreach services to enable them to access it.
Provisions in An Agreed Programme for Government to ensure that the comprehensive strategies on homelessness now in place are implemented and that homelessness, in particular rough sleeping, are tackled in a co-ordinated manner in all parts of the country, further underscore the Government's commitment to provide for the needs of homeless persons.
The revised anti-poverty strategy acknowledged that a number of subsidiary targets, identified during the course of consultation with the social partners and outlined in the framework document, could involve significant additional costs over the period of the strategy and would have to proceed in the light of the availability of resources. While there are no proposals to incorporate further targets on homelessness in the mainstream NAPS agenda, the issue of setting realistic targets in this area is particularly important to ensure that our efforts in providing resources and services yield positive results.
210 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will ensure data on homelessness is comparable on a year to year basis in order to track the progression of homeless persons from initial experience of homelessness through accessing services and on into secure stable accommodation. [24118/02]
I recognise the need to improve data on homelessness and in particular data on persons who may be moving into and out of homelessness and the services accessed and required by homeless persons.
In Dublin the Homeless Agency, with the support of my Department, is currently piloting the LINK system with a number of service providers including the Fáiltiú day centre, Dublin Simon and Focus Ireland street outreach teams, Focus Ireland coffee shop, Cedar House, the De Paul Trust and the health board's multidisciplinary teams.
This system tracks each person presenting as homeless to any of these services. It will allow a profile of people using homeless services to be built up. It is intended that the system will be extended to all services for the homeless in the Dublin area.
Similar improvements to data collection and analysis on homelessness are being considered in other local authority areas where there are a significant number of homeless persons. The issue of improved data collection generally is also being addressed at local authority level as part of the development of an integrated IT package for housing for all local authorities.
