Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2018
710. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the actions in pillar one of Rebuilding Ireland will be updated in order to reflect the additional identified needs of children experiencing homelessness with particular regard to their educational needs. [50621/18]
View answer711. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the homeless inter-agency group will be expanded to include representatives from the Department of Education and Skills. [50622/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 710 and 711 together.
The Government is committed to ensuring that families experiencing homelessness receive the supports they require. Rebuilding Ireland includes a programme of actions across the State Sector with involvement from a range of Government Departments and Agencies. In September 2017, I established the Homelessness Inter-Agency Group to ensure a coordinated response to the State’s response to homelessness. The Group includes representation from all of the Government Departments and Agencies involved in the delivery of homeless services, including Tusla, the HSE and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The Group is chaired by Mr John Murphy, former Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
In June this year, the Chair of the Group submitted a report to me on the work of the Group. The report includes information on services currently delivered by the various Departments and Agencies represented on the Group. The report highlighted a number of initiatives being delivered to support the education needs of children experiencing homelessness. These initiatives include: provision under the existing Community Childcare Subvention Programme of free childcare for children from families experiencing homelessness; the Tusla School Completion Programme; the provision of Home School Community Liaison co-ordinators who are engaging with the parents from homeless families; and the prioritisation of children experiencing homelessness within the School Completion Programme. The report from the Inter-Agency Group also included a number of recommendations, which are being implemented by the relevant Departments and Agencies on the Group.
A representative from the Department of Education and Skills joined the Homelessness Inter-Agency Group in September 2018 and the Group is continuing to examine service delivery to households experiencing homelessness. The education needs of children experiencing homelessness will form part of this work.
