I propose to take Questions Nos. 177, 179 and 182 together.
My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities. The purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988.
My Department does not fund any service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988.
Payments made by my Department under Section 10 generally equate to 90% of costs incurred by housing authorities and these authorities provide at least 10% of the cost of such services from their own resources.
Housing authorities may incur additional expenditure on homeless related services which supplements funding by my Department and other agencies including the Health Service Executive.
The bulk of Section 10 funding from my Department goes towards the costs incurred in the provision of accommodation services by the voluntary sector providers who have built up the services over the years. In addition, Section 10 funding is used to support day services such as drop-in centres and food services, as well as outreach services, settlement and tenancy sustainment services and the cost of local authority and voluntary sector staff.
The Section 10 funding provided by my Department to housing authorities on a regional basis for the years 2009 to 2013 is set out in the table.
Funding Provided under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988
|
Region
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
|
Dublin
|
€38,967,542
|
€40,521,375
|
€35,732,525
|
€32,398,290
|
€31,322,223
|
|
South East
|
€1,945,792
|
€1,742,886
|
€2,110,476
|
€1,848,877
|
€1,787,469
|
|
North East
|
€1,197,451
|
€1,037,617
|
€912,250
|
€910,194
|
€879,963
|
|
Midlands
|
€872,375
|
€666,344
|
€624,897
|
€672,027
|
€649,707
|
|
South West
|
€5,458,211
|
€4,270,143
|
€3,505,749
|
€4,418,967
|
€4,272,197
|
|
Mid-West
|
€4,110,166
|
€3,435,607
|
€2,905,457
|
€3,516,119
|
€3,399,336
|
|
West
|
€2,175,312
|
€1,699,288
|
€1,227,696
|
€1,581,478
|
€1,528,951
|
|
Mid East
|
€885,801
|
€906,842
|
€697,665
|
€839,146
|
€811,275
|
|
North West
|
€444,206
|
€423,355
|
€406,335
|
€360,865
|
€348,879
|
|
Total
|
€56,056,856
|
€54,703,457
|
€48,123,050
|
€46,545,963
|
€45,000,000
|
In addition, details of the funding provided by my Department to organisations tackling the issue of homelessness under the Scheme to Support National Organisations for the years 2009 - 2013 are set out in the table.
|
-
|
2009 - €
|
2010 - €
|
2011 - €
|
2012 - €
|
2013 - €
|
|
Simon Communities of Ireland
|
191,040
|
171,936
|
112,915
|
90,000
|
84,780
|
The 2014 budget towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services is €45 million. I will shortly allocate this funding to the 9 regions.
With regard to auditing of expenditure incurred by local authorities, each local authority is required to prepare and publish a financial statement in respect of each financial year. These financial statements are audited by the Local Government Audit Service which provides an independent and professional public sector audit service to the Local Government sector.
