I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate him on his appointment as Minister for Health.
I raise this issue of homelessness among young people in Ireland for a number of reasons, but primarily because of a survey carried out by the Streetwise organisation in January which indicated that Ireland had 150 homeless young people, a very disturbing figure. The problem is even more disturbing when one reflects that the homeless who did not approach hostels for accommodation are not included in the survey. It is fair to assume that the number of young homeless is greater than 150 but it is not possible to know how much greater. The survey further indicates that only 40 per cent of those who were accommodated were in what were considered satisfactory conditions. That is very worrying and unacceptable.
It is clear from those data that there is a lack of accommodation for homeless people generally and I am primarily concerned about the young homeless. It also emeged that of the order of 43 per cent of those seeking accommodation were under 16 years of age. There has been an increase in the proportion of homeless people under 16 years. In 1987 the figure was 28 per cent and in a survey done in 1989 the figure was 38 per cent. We are seeing a pattern which indicates an increasing problem of young homeless.
It also emerges in the Streetwise survey that 41 of the total 150 people in the survey had previously been in residential care. We are seeing repeat cases and it must be clear from that data that the system is unable to deal adequately with this problem; if it were the problem would not recur. That is a matter which needs to be attended to and addressed by the Minister.
Appropriate aftercare service should be provided for homeless people even when the emergency services are able to cope with individual cases. There is a need for an intermediary level of care between the emergency services and the reintegration of these children with their families or communities. We are talking of second level care which does not have to be as intensive as the initial care provided by the emergency services but is vital to prevent the recurrence of homelessness. There are serious deficiencies in the data available on the problem of homelessness here. This survey was carried out by a voluntary organisation. As far as I am aware no longitudinal studies had been carried out in relation to homelessness or homeless young people here. What becomes of homeless people as they make their way through life? What generates homelessness in the first instance? What is the life history of homeless people? When that data becomes available it may then be possible to work out ways in which the problem can be solved.
There are further problems in centres for the homeless outside the main urban areas. Many of these centres have no emergency accommodation. I have asked for information on the number of homeless young people accommodated in bed and breakfast establishments and the amount of money spent on this type of accommodation. I have nothing against bed and breakfast outlets; they provide a worthy service and one has to pay tribute to those who take in homeless young people. However, such accommodation is totally inappropriate for young homeless people and I am very concerned that it is being used for that purpose.
There is need for a series of differing approaches to care and the present attitude seems to be to provide emergency accommodation only in unsatisfactory arrangements.
The data reveals disturbingly that 60 per cent of the homeless people surveyed who contacted hostels were female which raises questions about the options open to young homeless females. There seems to be a greater tendency to homelessness among young females but without data and analysis it is not possible to be categorical. In relation to the Dublin area with which the Minister is very familiar there is a serious problem given that of the 150 children surveyed 108 were accommodated or sought accommodation in Dublin based hostels. The problem is primarily centred in Dublin and the numbers accommodated in that area, as far as I can see from the survey, amounted to something like 42 per cent although, according to the data, there are some hostels for which the information is not available.
We can accept that there is a serious recurring problem with young homeless in the Dublin area. In many ways the problem is getting worse and I sincerly hope the Minister will address it in a coherent way and extend to it the vigorous, aggressive attitude he has adopted to the AIDS problem and to some other aspects of the health services.
I am sure the Minister is too well aware of the risks attached to homelessness, the risk of prostitution, drug abuse, criminal involvement and so on. I will be interested in the data the Minister can provide in relation to the numbers of young people accommodated in bed and breakfast outlets and the amount of money spent on it.
