Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1607. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to outline the steps being taken by his Department to ensure the opening of a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16359/18]
View answerMy 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 homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department does not fund any service directly, but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless services.
Under the ‘Section 10’ funding arrangements in place between my Department and housing authorities, Exchequer funding is provided on a regional basis, whereby it is delegated to a lead-authority in each region. Decisions on the organisation and range of accommodation services to be provided are a matter for the individual housing authorities in consultation with the statutory Management Group of the relevant regional Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum, and my Department has no function in relation to such operational decisions.
Responsibility for policy development in relation to addiction and rehabilitation issues rests with the Minister for Health and the delivery of services in this regard is managed through the Health Service Executive. In relation to the facility referred to, these services fall into this category and the funding for these services is, therefore, a matter for the HSE in the first instance.
I am advised that the HSE has been liaising directly with the organisation referred to, who in turn have been liaising with the relevant local authority on the matter.
