Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
637. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the oversight his Department has over the activities of an organisation (details supplied) in the engagement and in the reconnection of persons from eastern Europe experiencing homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14345/21]
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 a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 sets out the purposes for which costs may be incurred by housing authorities in respect of the provision of homeless accommodation and related services.
While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. It is a matter for the management group of the consultative forum, in the first instance, to determine the homeless services required to address homelessness at a local level. In Dublin, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), provided by Dublin City Council, is the lead statutory local authority for funding and service provision to respond to homelessness in Dublin and adopts a shared service approach across South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
In the Dublin Region, the DRHE are responsible for the administration and oversight of homeless services on behalf of the four Dublin authorities and operate in consultation with the management group of the joint homelessness consultative forum that is in place for the Dublin Region. Operational oversight of activities of individual organisations involved in the provision of homeless services on its behalf is a matter for the DRHE to agree with individual organisations under service level agreements.
