On 4 December 2014, I hosted a special Summit on Homelessness to reaffirm the Government's commitment to end involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. A number of actions arising from the Summit were considered at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform on 8 December and were then formalised into an Action Plan to Address Homelessness which was noted by the Government at its meeting on 9 December 2014. A copy of this action plan is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/. Progress in implementing this plan is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform.
The action plan focuses on the Dublin region because the issue of homelessness is most acute in this region. However, there are a number of actions in the plan which address homelessness in other regions including the other major urban centres such as Galway City. I understand that there is sufficient emergency bed capacity in Galway so that there is no reason for anyone to sleep rough due to lack of accommodation.
Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities and the purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Additional funding for homeless services across the country in 2015 will ensure continued progress toward the achievement of the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. My Department is currently considering the appropriate allocation of the 2015 homelessness budget so as to ensure that Section 10 homelessness funding contributes to meeting the needs in the various regions.
