Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
501. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will publish details of the quality standards that are being applied to privately-run emergency accommodation; the way these standards differ to the National Quality Standards Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63574/21]
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. My Department does not provide homeless service directly but contributes to overall expenditure incurred by housing authorities in 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. In Dublin, this forum comprises representatives of the four Dublin local authorities, the HSE, Tusla, the Irish Prison and the Irish Probation Service, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Justice, the Irish Council for Social Housing, Threshold, and the Dublin Homeless Network. It is a matter for the management group of the consultative forum, in the first instance, to determine the homeless accommodation services required, the operation of such services and the funding required in each region.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), provided by Dublin City Council, is the lead statutory local authority to respond to homelessness in Dublin and adopts a shared service approach across the four Dublin local authorities.
In consultation with the management group of the joint homeless consultative forum, the DRHE are responsible for the administration and operation of services, including the monitoring of standards in emergency accommodation.
The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services is in place nationally for local authority and NGO delivered services. In Dublin the oversight of these standards is a matter for the DRHE. As a number of facilities are operated privately in the Dublin Region, the DRHE have adapted the NQSF standards in order to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation and presented these standards to the Dublin Region strategic management group and consultative forum in September 2021. Following agreement, these standards are to be applied to private emergency accommodation, with the owner / operator responsible for the physical standards and the visiting support teams responsible for the support and case management standards. It is understood that these standards are currently being rolled out. As the standards for private emergency accommodation were specific to the Dublin Region, the DRHE in consultation with the strategic management group and the consultative forum are making arrangements for their publication.
