Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
694. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of all private and voluntary companies and agencies contacted by the State to provide emergency accommodation for homeless persons for the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [40686/22]
View answer695. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the details of all funding provided to private and voluntary bodies and agencies for services for homeless persons including accommodation for the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [40687/22]
View answer696. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details of circumstances in which homeless services and emergency accommodation have been contracted by the State or local authority to a private entity; the relevant officials or bodies with responsibility for ensuring that such accommodation meets required standards; the way that it is ensured that persons and bodies providing such services are adequately and properly trained to provide such services; the way that homeless persons availing of such services can appeal or question decisions regarding their accommodation to a relevant authority, that is,. not the provider of such accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40688/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 694 to 696, inclusive, together.
My 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.
My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Under Exchequer funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Exchequer funding arrangements provided by my Department. Therefore, the exact amounts spent by housing authorities on homeless services are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.
The procurement of homeless services including the tendering and awarding of contracts are a matter for individual local authorities who are obliged to ensure compliance with all relevant statutory obligations in respect of provision of services and use of public funds. Decisions on the need for homeless accommodation including any procurement of services, contractual arrangements and operation and funding of homeless accommodation are a matter for individual authorities, and as Minister, I have no role.
Financial reports from each of the regional fora, setting out total expenditure on homeless services including those services provided through the non-government sector and private emergency accommodation are published on my Department’s website at the following link; www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services is in place nationally for local authority and NGO delivered services. The NQSF has been developed to ensure a consistent approach in how local authorities and service providers respond to the needs of those experiencing homelessness and to improve the quality of services provided. In general, the operation of emergency accommodation facilities is contracted out by local authorities, under service level agreements, to NGOs involved in the delivery of homeless services.
As a number of facilities are operated privately in the Dublin Region, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) have adapted the NQSF standards in order to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation. These standards are being 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.
The Standards and Facilities Team in the DRHE oversee all emergency accommodation and seek to ensure that all relevant guidelines, policies and procedures are complied with in order to deliver a safe and comfortable place to stay for service users. The DRHE also has a regime in place to deal with complaints and to ensure accommodation is appropriate and safe. This includes engaging with homeless families and individuals on issues arising in their accommodation.
