Vol. 517 No. 4
68 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the initiatives taken by him to deal with the alarming level of homelessness in the Eastern Health Board as revealed by the study in 1999 of the homeless initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter [6562/00]
Early in 1999, the chief executive of the Eastern Health Board set up a multidisciplinary group to identify gaps in services for homeless people and to make recommendations for a comprehensive co-ordinated service. The group formulated a plan which constituted its submission to the Cross-Departmental Team on Homelesseness set up by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion. The plan was adopted as policy by the Eastern Health Board and funding was sought from my Department to enable it to be implemented. The Deputy will be glad to know that £0.7 million revenue funding was allocated to the Eastern Health Board by my Department this year to enable the board to begin implementation of the plan.
