I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 57 together.
Under section 9 of the Housing Act 1988 local authorities are required to identify persons who are homeless as a specific category when assessing need for housing. The results of their most recent assessment of needs, undertaken in March 2002, have been published in my Department's annual housing statistics bulletin.
The adoption of schemes of letting priorities setting out the criteria for the eligibility of individuals for local authority housing is a reserved function of the elected members. It is the case that schemes of letting priorities generally give additional points or priority recognition for persons who are homeless. The allocation of local authority housing is a matter for individual local authorities having regard to the terms of schemes of letting priorities.
While my Department publishes the number of first time lettings in the annual housing statistics bulletin, comprehensive details of the number of lettings to specific categories such as homeless persons are not available in the Department. I am however aware that significant progress has been made in housing homeless persons. Current indications are that in the three-year period ending in December 2003, approximately 1,400 homeless persons will have been housed in the functional areas of the four Dublin local authorities by the authorities themselves, voluntary housing associations and the Threshold access housing unit. Significant progress has also been made in the provision of emergency and move-on accommodation and day care facilities.
The proposed introduction of an integrated housing IT system for local authorities and the LINK data system being piloted in the Dublin area will facilitate the effective collection of housing data in the future.