Mary Flaherty
Ceist:369 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has to deal with the growing problem of young homeless persons in the 16 to 18 age group in the Ballymun area of Dublin 11.
Written Answers. - Young Homeless Persons.
I am very much aware of the growing problem of homelessness among young people in our cities and towns and the Government have taken a number of initiatives in advance of the enactment of the Child Care Bill which is at present before a special committee of the Dáil.
In 1988 the Government established a special £4 million fund for disadvantaged youth from the national lottery funds set aside by the Government for youth affairs. The overall objective of the fund is to develop a wide range of community youth projects aimed at meeting the needs of those among our young people who are facing special and complex problems. In particular, the Government decided that the needs of groups considered to be particularly at risk such as the young homeless, young travellers and young substance abusers should be given priority consideration in the allocation of this special fund. I am pleased to be able to say that the Government allocated a sum of over £1 million to a wide range of new initiatives geared specifically to the needs of these particular groups of young people. These funds have been allocated through the health boards, mainly to a wide range of voluntary organisations in different parts of the country. The allocations include increased funding to enable some existing services to be enhanced as well as allocations to enable new services to get off the ground.
As far as the Ballymun area of Dublin is concerned, a shelter for homeless boys, run by the Arrupe Society, is located in the Ballymun flats complex. This project is receiving financial assistance from the special fund. Furthermore, a new residential centre for homeless girls, funded from the same source, is being developed by the Eastern Health Board in Ballymun. Dublin Corporation have allocated flats for the centre, a project leader is about to be appointed and it is expected that the centre will be operational by the middle of this year.
In addition to the facilities available in Ballymun, homeless children and young persons from the area are placed, as necessary, in various hostels and residential centres around the Dublin area.
I might also mention that five additional social workers were appointed by the health board in 1987 to deal specifically with homeless young persons. One of these social workers is assigned to the Ballymun area.