Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 September 2021
64. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of family homeless hubs and the capacity to accommodate family sizes of two, three, four, five and above persons in each local authority area in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45456/21]
View answer65. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of families that were accommodated in temporary hotel accommodation in each local authority area in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45457/21]
View answer66. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of transitional accommodation units utilised to accommodate homeless family sizes of two, three, four, five and above persons in each local authority area in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45458/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 64 to 66, inclusive, together.
Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the primary role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.
While responsibility for the provision of homeless accommodation rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis with a lead authority in place for each region. A Homelessness Consultative Forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services required in each region are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.
My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities and produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The most recently published data is in respect of July 2021. There were 6,003 adults 730 families and 2,129 dependants under the age of 18 years in emergency accommodation during the July count week. The Reports for each month are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/.
These reports include information broken down by accommodation type at regional level. Emergency accommodation provided in a hotel is included within the private emergency accommodation (PEA) category along with other commercially provided emergency accommodation arrangements. Emergency accommodation provided in family hubs is included within the supported temporary accommodation (STA) category.
My Department has been working with the local authorities to deliver family hubs, which provide more appropriate emergency accommodation for families. There are now 35 hubs operational nationally, offering over 766 units of family accommodation. Of these, 26 of these are in Dublin, with 2 in Galway and Kildare and 1 each in Cork, Clare, Meath, Limerick and Louth. Details on sizes of the families accommodated in these units are not included in the reports on homelessness published by my Department.
