Vol. 511 No. 3
248 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number and location of bed accommodation for homeless people in Dublin city; the quality and conditions of this accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24036/99]
250 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of emergency accommodation beds available to Dublin city; the percentage occupancy of these beds; the noticeable trend, if any, in the occupancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24038/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 250 together.
It is estimated that there are approximately 900 bed places available for homeless people in hostels in the Dublin city area. In addition bed and breakfast accommodation is also used to accommodate homeless people. In 1998, there were 819 instances where bed and breakfast accommodation was availed of by the Eastern Health Board on behalf of Dublin Corporation.
Information on the quality and conditions of individual hostel and bed and breakfast accommodation is not available in my Department. However much of the hostel accommodation which is operated by voluntary bodies has been newly built or redeveloped over the past ten years or so with the assistance of funding under the voluntary housing capital assistance scheme while hostel accommodation operated directly by the corporation has been acquired and-or redeveloped with capital funding from my Department. It is understood that Dublin Corporation has initiated an examination of all bed and breakfast accommodation currently being utilised to ensure that it is of a satisfactory standard.
As hostel accommodation is used as a combination of emergency and transitional or long-term accommodation separate figures are not available in my Department on occupancy rates by different category. I understand that hostels are generally full.
249 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of homeless people; the allocation of moneys towards the provision of bed accommodation in 1999 for the homeless, excluding emergency accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24037/99]
The results of the assessment of homelessness carried out by local authorities earlier this year indicated that there were 3,743 homeless households containing 5,234 people.
My Department's 1999 provision for recoupment of local authorities expenditure on accommodation for homeless people and emergency accommodation for asylum seekers is £20 million. Actual recoupment paid up to 31 October was £4.817 million in respect of homeless people and £8.020 million in respect of asylum seekers. I expect that the overall provision will be fully expended.
251 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of people sleeping rough by age group and gen der; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24039/99]
The Economic and Social Research Institute report on the 1999 assessment of homelessness in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow which was published by the Homeless Initiative in August 1999 indicated that there were 275 homeless people sleeping rough in those areas in a week long period last March when the assessment was undertaken. The report does not give a gender and age breakdown of this figure apart from indicating that one in five were under 20 years of age. I understand that the Homeless Initiative have established a working party to do further analysis of the findings in relation to rough sleepers.
While information on the numbers of homeless people sleeping rough in other areas of the country is not available in my Department, it is my understanding that there are few homeless persons outside the greater Dublin area sleeping rough.
