Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Dec 1995

Vol. 459 No. 6

Written Answers. - Homeless Persons.

Liam Fitzgerald

Ceist:

15 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that homelessness in Ireland is believed to be at a crisis level with an estimated 5,000 people homeless at any one time; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that children as young as 19 years of age are ranked among the homeless; the known extent of the problem in Dublin; the way in which the crisis compares with the known extent of homelessness in each of the years 1993 and 1994; the programmes, if any, being prepared by him to effectively address this escalating social problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18083/95]

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

16 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment the result of the survey of accommodation for the homeless which was proposed to be carried out during 1995; the total number of persons who have sought hostel or emergency accommodation in each of the years from 1990 to 1994; the total number of hostel or emergency places currently available in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway; the plans, if any, he has to expand the after-hours referral service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18595/95]

Godfrey Timmins

Ceist:

31 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment if responsibility for homeless persons comes under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18636/95]

Gerard C. Connolly

Ceist:

33 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment if he has satisfied himself that current arrangements are adequate to cater for the homeless in view of the particular danger posed to homeless people in the winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16019/95]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 16, 31 and 33 together.

Local authorities are responsible for the accommodation of homeless people over 18 years of age; homeless young people under 18 years of age come within the aegis of the Minister for Health.

The last assessment of the number of homeless persons was carried out by local authorities at 31 March 1993. It showed that the total number of homeless persons was 2,667 of whom 1,617 persons were in Dublin city. The assessment did not provide information on age categories.

The next assessment of local authority housing needs and of the number of homeless persons will be carried out on 29 March 1996. It will include information on the age category of children of homeless persons. Housing authorities have been asked to ensure that the assessment is a thorough one.

Information from housing authorities on the survey of hostel accommodation is not yet complete. However, replies from 86 authorities indicate that there are 1,850 bed spaces available in hostels, of which 876, 326, 80, 103 and 65 are in the County Boroughs of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, respectively. Information is not available in the Department on the number of persons who sought hostel or emergency places in the years from 1900 to 1994.

Measures already taken to improve the accommodation situation for homeless people have ensured that there is no basis for assuming that homelesseness is at a serious level in Ireland. These measures include the expansion of the local authority housing programme from 1,000 `starts' in 1992 to 3,900 in 1995 which benefits approved applicants, whether homeless or otherwise, for local authority housing; increased capital funding for voluntary bodies providing housing accommodation, a substantial part of which is accommodation for homeless people; the increase from 80 per cent to 90 per cent in the level of recoupment by my Department to local authorities in respect of expenditure under section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988 on accommodation for homeless people; and the provision of an emergency hostel, now operated by the Salvation Army at lower Grangegorman, Dublin.

An after-hours referral service for homeless people in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow who are seeking accommodation outside normal opening hours came into operation in November 1993. A freephone service is provided outside the opening hours of the homeless persons' unit of the Eastern Health Board and covers the hours of 5 p.m. to 1.00 a.m. from Mondays to Fridays and 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. I have no proposals at present to expand this service but, if any other housing authority considers that a similar service is necessary in their area, I will be prepared to consider any proposal they make.

While I am generally satisfied with the progress being made in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless people, I will be keeping the situation under close review.