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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 5

Written Answers - Housing Accommodation.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

265 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the action, if any, he will take to provide adequate funding for resettlement services for those who are homeless. [25815/98]

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

266 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the provision, if any, he will make in relation to transitional accommodation available for people trapped in the hostel circuit. [25816/98]

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

267 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the funding available for the Dublin area homeless initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25817/98]

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

268 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the action, if any, he will take to collect accurate information on homelessness in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25818/98]

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

269 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the measures, if any, he will take to deal with the homeless problem in Dublin. [25819/98]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 265, 266, 267, 268 and 269 together.

Local authorities have a wide range of powers to enable them to provide an effective response to the accommodation needs of homeless people. Homeless people have benefited from the maintenance of the local authority housing programme at a high and consistent level in recent years. Increased resources for housing, which I have secured in the Estimates for 1999, will ensure the continuation of the existing programme and its expansion by a further 600 "starts" to its highest level since 1986.

Capital provision for hostel accommodation has been increased from £2 million in 1998 to £4 million in 1999. The funding is available for the provision of suitable short-term and transitional housing for homeless people.
A substantial part of the accommodation provided under the voluntary housing schemes, administered by local authorities, has been used to fund the capital cost of providing emergency, transitional and long-term accommodation for homeless people. I recently announced substantial increases in the funding limits of the capital assistance scheme designed to improve the capacity of voluntary bodies to provide housing accommodation under the scheme.
Local authorities also have 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, meeting the cost of accommodation arranged directly by local authorities themselves or by health boards on their behalf, and funding appropriate resettlement and other initiatives to assist homeless people. My Department recoups 90 per cent of these costs to local authorities.
The total annual funding available for the Dublin Homeless Initiative is £600,000, of which £350,000 is provided by Dublin Corporation and £250,000 by the Eastern Health Board. My Department recoups 90 per cent of the corporation's funding to the initiative.
I have asked local authorities, in guidelines issued to them on 17 November in relation to the next assessment of homelessness to be carried out in March 1999, to ensure that every effort is made to record accurately the total number of homeless people in their functional areas. To this end, I have asked them to consult and liaise with adjoining local authorities, health boards and voluntary bodies providing accommodation and services for homeless people in their areas. In addition, the guidelines suggest a survey over a period of a week rather than on a specific date, in an effort to more accurately identify the extent of homelessness. Local authorities have also been requested to gather information on the number of "rough sleepers" on the same basis.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

270 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will establish a national commission for a special task force on housing and homelessness. [25821/98]

I am giving consideration to the possible contribution which a National Housing Commission or other such forum or task force might make in the context of the current housing situation.

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