Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Mar 1998

Vol. 488 No. 1

Written Answers - Homeless People.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

202 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of homeless adults in each local authority area; the accommodation provided by each local authority for adults who are homeless; and the additional resources, if any, being provided to each local authority to provide additional accommodation to tackle the problem. [5659/98]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

211 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of persons within each local authority area who are known to be homeless; and the temporary accommodation, if any, that is provided by each local authority in the State for the homeless. [5668/98]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

212 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the funding made available by his Department in 1997 and 1998 to each voluntary group or organisation that provide emergency or temporary accommodation for homeless persons. [5669/98]

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

215 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total number of people understood to be homeless; if he will provide a breakdown for each local authority area in this regard. [5759/98]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 202, 211, 212 and 215 together.

The most recent assessment by local authorities of the numbers of homeless people was in respect of the position at 29 March 1996 and was carried out in conjunction with the local authorities' assessment of housing needs at that date. Details of the assessment are contained in Part XIII of the Department's Housing Statistics bulletin for 1996, copies of which are in the Oireachtas Library. The next assessment of the numbers of homeless people will take place in conjunction with the next assessment of housing needs in March 1999.

Local authorities have a wide range of powers to enable them to provide an effective response to the accommodation needs of homeless persons. The maintenance of the local authority housing programme at a high and consistent level in recent years benefits the homeless in common with other housing needs.

A substantial part of the accommodation provided under the voluntary housing schemes, administered by local authorities, has been for homeless persons. The terms and conditions of the schemes were recently significantly improved and they will continue to play an important part in meeting housing needs, including those of homeless people. In 1997 capital funding amounting to over £3.5 million was paid by local authorities under the capital assistance scheme in respect of accommodation for homeless people; details are set out in schedule 1. To date in 1998 £181,633 has been paid to voluntary bodies for the provision of accommodation for homeless people as shown in schedule 2; further payments will be made in 1998 as projects mature for payment.

Apart from the capital funding outlined, my Department pays grants towards the administrative and general expenses of a number of approved voluntary housing bodies, some of which provide services for the homeless. Details of the amounts paid in 1997 and approved for 1998 are set out in schedule 3.

Local authorities have wide powers under section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988 to provide or fund the cost of accommodation for homeless people. This includes contributions to voluntary bodies providing such accommodation and meet the cost of accommodation arranged directly by local authorities themselves or by the health boards on their behalf.

My Department recoups local authorities 90 per cent of their expenditure under section 10. In 1997 some £6 million was recouped to authorities under these arrangements. A full breakdown of the payments made to individual voluntary bodies by local authorities is not available in my Department. However, in 1997, recoupment amounting to over £1 million was made to various local authorities in respect of their payments to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Simon Community, Focus and the Salvation Army. The provision for "section 10" recoupments in 1998 is £5.5 million.

Local authorities also fund and are recouped by the Department the cost of:

— the operation of day-time and after hours referral services for homeless people seeking accommodation in the Dublin area; and

— the operation of the Dublin Homeless Initiative covering Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow which was established to secure better co-ordination and delivery of services for the homeless in the Dublin region and to provide a framework for a more co-operative and unified approach by the statutory authorities working with the voluntary sector.

I will continue to have the situation regarding accommodation for homeless people monitored and kept under review.

SCHEDULE 1.

Capital Assistance Scheme Funding Paid in 1997.

Voluntary Body	Address-Location	Funding Paid
		£
Focus Housing Association	Georges Hill, Dublin 7	47,959
Focus Housing Association	Presentation Place, Parnell, Limerick	25,000
Focus Housing Association	Cloonmore Villas, Ballybough, Dublin 3	3,816
Sonas Housing Association	Killester Avenue, Dublin 5	6,487
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Chapel St., Drumshanbo, County Leitrim	50,479
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Bride St., Waterford	159,928
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Letterkenny, County Donegal	61,720
St. Vincent de Paul Society	39 Loman St., Trim, County Meath	56,205
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Breaffy Road. Castlebar, County Mayo	175,846
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Kilcommon Cross, Thurles, County Tipperary	104,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Eyre St., Newbridge, County Kildare	75,125
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Dublin Road, Longford	33,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society	St. Kierans Park, Castlerea	100,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society	Tivoli Road, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin	1,984
Finisklin Housing Association	Finisklin, Sligo	286,415
Cura	Quarry Road, Thomandgate, Limerick	6,000
Galway Voluntary Social Services	Fairgreen, Galway	612,951
Holy Ghost Hospital	Cork Road, Waterford	60,000
Oasis	19 Ard na Greine, Waterford	13,000
Michael Walsh House	College Road, Waterford	10,707
Respond Voluntary Housing Association	Ardmount, Waterford	702,065
Easkey Mental Health Housing Association	Easkey, County Sligo	186,000
Dundalk Simon Community	Barrack St., Dundalk, County Louth	69,854
Athlone Streetwise	6 Magazine Road, Athlone, County Westmeath	4,680
Athlone Community Social Council	Esker House, Retreat Road, Athlone	2,547
St. Michael's House	2 St. Mary's Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin 3	27,000
Nenagh Voluntary Housing Association	Nenagh, County Tipperary	182,795
Murroe Community Housing Association	Murroe, Limerick	65,000
Cuan Saor	Women's Refuge, Jervice Place, Clonmel	175,000
Adapt Kerry Ltd.	Shanakiel, Tralee, County Kerry	4,725
Cork Mental Health Association	Spa Glen, Malow, County Cork	150,000
The Aids Fund	9-9a Granby Lane, Dublin 1	51,000

SCHEDULE 2.

Capital Assistance Scheme Funding Paid in 1998.

Voluntary Body	Address-Location	Funding Paid
		£
Galway Voluntary Social Services	Fairgreen, Galway	30,784
Focus Housing Association	Presentation Place, Parnell, Limerick	4,000
Finisklin Housing Association	Finisklin, Sligo	51,097
The Aids Fund	9-9a Granby Lane, Dublin 1	87,748
Cunamh Teo	136-137 Phibsboro Road, Dublin 7	8,004

Schedule 3

Grant Aid in 1997-1998 to approved organisations towards their administrative and general expense

Voluntary Board	1998 Approved	1997 Paid
	£	£
Threshold	80,000	80,000
Irish Council for Social Housing	62,000	60,000
N.A.B.C.O.	62,000	60,000
Focus Point	62,000	65,000
Respond	67,000	65,000
Rural Resettlement Ireland	67,000	65,000
Simon (National Office)	8,000	8,000
St. Pancras	12,000	12,000
Refugee Agency	–	10,000