asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the number of homeless young children in the Dublin area; and his plans to deal with this problem.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Homeless Children.
33.
It is not possible to give a precise figure as to the number of children involved as it is continually fluctuating. The figure is quite small and is made up almost exclusively of children drawn from the travelling community. However, I am most concerned about the very serious circumstances of such children.
Support and advice is provided for the most part for these children and their families by the local community care staff of the Eastern Health Board, the corporation and by field workers of various voluntary organisations working in this area, particularly the Dublin Committee for Travelling People. This committee, which is financially supported by the Eastern Health Board, also provides overnight accommodation for the children.
As a further contribution to easing the problem my predecessor made available to the board in August last a grant of £150,000 for the provision of a residential centre for young travelling girls. The proposed centre will be run by the Dublin Committee for Travelling People and is situated a short distance from the committee's existing centre for travelling boys at Trudder House, Newtownmount-kennedy. It will provide places for ten girls, many of whom are at the moment to be found most days on the inner city streets. Negotiations are still in progress on the purchase of the premises. However it seems that some members of the board have reservations about this proposal and a final decision has yet to be taken by it.
I can assure the Deputy that I intend keeping in touch with the problem and I have arranged to meet a deputation from the Joint Eastern Health Board-Dublin Corporation Committee on Children Sleeping Rough to discuss this and related matters.
I am very glad the Minister has made that statement. It is a very important one in relation to the second house for the travelling children. I thank the Minister for giving the undertaking that he will continue with that project. I would ask him to visit Trudder House to see for himself the nature of the work being done there, so that he will have a very clear understanding of what is involved in the second house, since there is some dispute at health board level in relation to it. I thank the Minister for his statement.