Terence Flanagan
Question:8. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to end long-term homelessness by 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15560/15]
View answerThursday, 23 April 2015
Questions (8)
Oral answers (13 contributions)
This is a straightforward question to the Minister about ending homelessness. The programme for Government states that 2016 will be the year that will be attained. Is that realistic now considering the crisis in the housing market?
I thank the Deputy for his question. The long-term solution to homelessness is to increase the supply of homes, particularly in terms of social housing. In November 2014, I launched the Government’s Social Housing Strategy: 2020. This is a six-year strategy which is intended to deliver over 110,000 social housing tenancies through the provision of 35,000 new social housing units, at a cost of €3.8 billion, and we have been able to increase that amount, and by meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the housing assistance payment and the rental accommodation schemes.
I am committed to addressing the issue of homelessness. As the Deputy will be aware, I hosted a special summit last December, involving all the relevant bodies, groups and organisations, which resulted in a comprehensive action plan. A range of measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. All of the measures are set out in the Government's implementation plan on the State's response to homelessness of May 2014 and in the action plan to address homelessness of December 2014. Progress in implementing these plans is reported to the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform, which meets regularly. It is an absolute top priority of that committee. The plans and progress reports are also available on my Department's website.
On a personal basis, the issue of homelessness is an absolute priority for me, the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, and our Department. We will continue to examine whatever measures are necessary to help and facilitate local authorities and other agencies deal with this important and human issue. However, we need co-operation from many different quarters in order to do that.
I thank the Minister for his response. This issue was raised recently during Leaders' Questions by Deputy Ó Cuív. The Simon Community has said that in its history the crisis has never been as bad, particularly in Dublin. In the programme for Government, there is a commitment to ending long-term homelessness for families and the need to sleep rough. The tragic case of poor Jonathan Corrie last December, which happened just outside the Dáil, was shocking. That sparked an impetus and a focus to deal with this issue. However, until the Government directly deals with the supply issue and brings more social housing on line, it will have extreme difficulty in dealing with the issue. Is there an initiative to stop soaring rents which are resulting in an increase in the number of people facing homelessness? For instance, is the Minister considering providing tax relief to landlords so that they accept people in receipt of rent supplement?
I respect the sincerity in which the Deputy asks this question. I have always said, and I wish to be fair to Deputies across the Chamber who have worked with me on it, that this issue is above political to-ing and fro-ing. Many measures are being taken and examined. We are constantly examining other ways in which we can facilitate. We listed 80 actions and implemented them before Christmas and this had a huge impact. We said we would create more emergency accommodation and we did so, in fact we created more, and it has been taken up. We have a protocol with the Department of Social Protection on rent supplement and many tenancies have been maintained as a result of interventions by Threshold. The Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, is currently tendering for a tenants' rights promotion programme. The housing assistance payment, HAP, is being rolled out for homeless people in Dublin. We have worked with NAMA.
I thank the Minister.
We have delivered quicker on voids. We are looking at other measures, including rent. They are being concluded or are being examined at the moment. I also wish to repeat something to the Deputy.
I will let the Minister back in.
As the Minister responsible, I need co-operation from many different areas, in particular, from politicians. A number of measures I announced have been welcomed and implemented and have had huge dramatic impacts.
I thank the Minister.
However, I need local authorities, in particular, to play ball on this.
The Minister is way over time. I call Deputy Terence Flanagan.
As the Minister knows, 1,000 families and children are living in hotels at the moment. That is a major issue and a crisis that needs to be tackled. Does the Minister see himself achieving the target of ending long-term homelessness by 2016?
There are issues relating to people who will not accept help. When do the authorities step in? In my constituency, there is a young man who has mental health issues. He is not accepting help from the authorities, such as the HSE and psychiatry professionals. He is gradually deteriorating and it is heartbreaking to see it. What changes can be made in that area? Will the Minister look at this issue?
It is our ambition to meet our targets in respect of ending involuntary long-term homelessness. I will deal with two issues in the short time available to me. First, to conclude my earlier point, I need the co-operation of local authorities. In some cases, that has not been forthcoming. Given its role in the refurbishment of certain apartments in O'Devaney Gardens, Dublin City Council has been tasked with finding immediate replacements, which it must have by next week. This is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, in this country we are still suffering a little from NIMBY-ism in respect of this issue. I was very surprised with the decision. Having said that, I respect the decision of the elected representatives.
I do not have much time remaining but Deputy Terence Flanagan is correct on the second point. We have met all the different social agencies in respect of helping people who will not accept help. It is quite a difficult thing. Professional people are involved, but intervention mechanisms have to be judged. Sometimes people will not accept help and that is why we established the night bus service and the night café. Some people will not take emergency accommodation. That is true. We have to respect people's civil and human rights, but there is a pendulum. When the HSE and other agencies should intervene is something I leave to the professionals. I listen to people like Alice Leahy of TRUST, who I consider to be an authority on these issues. In some cases, it is a very delicate operation, but they do their best. Do they get everything right? It is almost an impossible situation, but they do their best.