Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2015
593. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of persons exiting emergency homeless accommodation to take up accommodation in the private rental sector in 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015. [8171/15]
View answerTraditionally it has been difficult to quantify the number of homeless persons on an ongoing basis; this is in part a consequence of the volatility within this cohort of housing need. Prior to 2014 national data on homelessness was available through Housing Needs Assessment reports, which were generally carried out every three years, or through the CSO’s special Census report, Homeless Persons in Ireland , which was published in 2012. The Housing Needs Assessment reports break down the categories of housing need, including in respect of homelessness but only where an application had been made to a housing authority. The Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS) was developed as a single integrated national data information system on the use of homeless services and is provided through Dublin City Council as a national shared service. The PASS system allows housing authorities to produce good quality, timely data in relation to homelessness and how it is addressed and, in quantifying its ongoing dynamics, supports the development and implementation of appropriate policy responses.
PASS was initially piloted in the Dublin Region and was rolled-out on a national basis during 2013, which means that 2014 was the first year for which PASS produced composite national data on homelessness. Quarterly reports from lead housing authorities are published on my Department's website as soon as they are available. These quarterly reports provide a range of data on homelessness, including details of Individuals moved on to independent living. These reports are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/
