Eoin Ó Broin
Question:360. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the associated costs provided by his Department towards the funding of one Housing First tenancy. [51772/17]
View answerTuesday, 5 December 2017
Questions (360)
Written answers
Action 1.15 of Rebuilding Ireland, the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness commits my Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to improve mental health and primary care services for those in homeless services and improve their ability to sustain a normal tenancy.
The HSE supports the adoption of a housing-led approach, based on the provision of intensive case management simultaneously, with the desired outcome of permanent stable housing and improved health and well-being of homeless people. In 2017, over €32.6m has been allocated by the HSE for social inclusion services to improve health outcomes for homeless persons. This funding has been used to:
provide intensive case-management support, key working, GP and nursing services for people in homeless services;
improve access to primary care/addiction services and wrapped around care in line with the housing-led approach;
enhance services within homeless accommodation by providing in-reach speciality primary care and mental health in-reach services; and
provide out-reach services and supports to link homeless people into primary care, mental health and addiction services.
My Department intends to work with the HSE during 2018 to ensure continued enhancement to social inclusion services in order to improve outcomes for homeless people in line with commitments in Rebuilding Ireland.