Vol. 572 No. 5
13 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he will report on the progress made by the cross-departmental team in making recommendations to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion as outlined in Homelessness - An Integrated Strategy, for permanent procedures for the ongoing identification and understanding of risk factors and triggers for those at risk of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23479/03]
The cross-departmental team on homelessness is, under the aegis of my Department, charged with monitoring and overseeing the implementation of the Government's integrated and preventative homeless strategies. The homeless preventative strategy is a cross-departmental response designed to ensure that services are put in place to target groups most at risk of homelessness and to ensure early intervention before people at risk become homeless. In its monitoring of the implementation of the homeless strategies, the cross-departmental team continues to pay specific attention to risk and trigger factors for homelessness, seeks to ensure that these are adequately addressed by the responsible agency and are appropriately reflected in periodic reports on the issue to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion.
The following are measures undertaken to date to address the needs of such persons. In the three year period from 2001 to 2003, between 1,400 and 1,500 homeless persons will have been housed by the local authority and voluntary housing sectors and the Threshold housing access unit in the four Dublin authorities alone. More than 1,000 additional emergency beds have been provided. Designated accommodation has been provided for street drinkers and drug users. A specialised unit – the homeless offenders strategy team – has been established within the probation and welfare service to address the housing needs of homeless offenders. Protocols have been drafted by health boards for the discharge of homeless persons from hospital and mental health facilities as well as medical facilities being improved. A 48 bed foyer has been provided under the Department's capital assistance by the voluntary sector in Dublin which will cater for the needs of young people leaving care or who are otherwise at risk of homelessness.
There has been direct provision of educational programmes for homeless persons, provision of information, staff training and referrals to other programmes. In the light of the growing number of non-nationals given leave to remain in the country, guidelines to assist local authorities in housing them are being examined. The deficiencies in the availability of comprehensive information on homeless persons and their needs are being addressed by the introduction of the LINK system which, with the financial support of the Department, is being piloted by the homeless agency at present.
