Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2018
504. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of times she has met the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government in each quarter since her appointment as Minister in order to discuss the issue of child homelessness. [53975/18]
View answerThe government is determined to end the homelessness crisis. I take part in all cabinet discussions on homelessness and actively contribute across all policy responsibilities with my lens as the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
I have had 8 bi-lateral discussions with the Ministers with responsibility for Housing, Planning and Local Government since my appointment as Minister to discuss child and family homelessness and the overall housing policy relating to legislative proposals and policy developments in this area. In addition, my advisers and the Department officials have engaged regularly with their counterparts from the Department of Housing on these matters. These interactions continue on an on-going basis.
My focus in this area has been twofold; firstly, to ensure that all the additional supports children living in temporary accommodation need are in place, and secondly, to work with my Government colleagues to progress measures that prevent families becoming homeless.
I am delighted to have led the establishment of the free childcare scheme for children living in emergency accommodation. It is a key priority for me to ensure that all children are accessing high-quality early childhood education and care during this formative time in their lives in order to avoid any long-term disadvantage on learning and education.
Children in emergency accommodation are also prioritised in the school completion programme. This provides them with access to homework clubs, breakfast clubs, out of school activities such as sport, music and art, learning supports and therapeutic interventions.
To combat educational disadvantage further, families in homelessness with school age children have free public transport to school.
Beyond my own Ministerial brief, I have contributed to Government policy on prevention of homelessness that is recognised as a key response to the on-going crisis.
I have progressed a number of initiatives through my engagements with Minister Murphy which will help families to stay in their current homes in the private rented sector, including greater clarity as to what constitutes a Substantial Renovation, and further, the establishment of the forthcoming deposit protections scheme and providing greater powers to Residential Tenancies Board. Legislation on this effect is currently being drafted.
I have also pursued other measures, in areas such as better regulation of the private rented sector, bringing vacant properties into social housing use and providing better protections to families in risk of homelessness through earlier access to Homeless HAP supports. All of this work involves in-depth policy scrutiny and my advisers are engaging with advisers and officials from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government on these matters.
Furthermore, I am committed to ensuring that we are building more social and affordable housing going forward. This is the key element to reducing homelessness in the medium to long term. I have welcomed the establishment of the Land Development Agency which will ensure a more strategic State leadership in development of land going forward, which will contribute to a more stable and socially sustainable housing sector in Ireland. I am engaging with Minister Murphy in ensuring the new Agency will deliver on housing affordability that will benefit all.
