Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 Feb 1995

Vol. 142 No. 2

Adjournment Matters. - Homelessness in Ennis, County Clare.

Mrs. Taylor-Quinn

I thank the Chair for allowing me the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. A situation recently arose in Ennis where a young couple, an 18 years old boy and 17 years old girl, and their baby found themselves without any accommodation. They were forced to live in an old bus at the local CIÉ station in Ennis for a number of nights.

This matter was highlighted in the local media and it became evident that there are no facilities in the area for people who, for a variety of circumstance, find themselves homeless in the short term. I realise that there are responsibilities on the Department of the Environment and local authorities to provide housing. The Minister recently announced increased housing allocations for Clare County Council, Ennis Urban District Council and Kilrush Urban District Council. These were very welcome as they are a substantial increase on previous years. However, there is separate issue involving traumatic situations which can arise.

There is a change in the social structure and many families have difficulties. For example, many young girls get pregnant and have children. They may be living in their parents' house and perhaps the boyfriend or husband moves in. A dispute arises and somebody is put out of the house. The question is where do they go? I raise this matter to highlight the significance of what is happening and the need for some type of shelter in Ennis to cope with such situations that arise in County Clare.

I am not sure if the Minister of State has direct responsibility in this matter; the health board may also have responsibility. However, I ask the Department of the Environment and the health board to consider this matter with a view to providing some type of interim accommodation to alleviate situations similar to the case I outlined. It is unacceptable in the mid-1990s, that young couples are forced to live in a bus in the Ennis CIÉ yard and the Government should not allow such situations to continue in any part of the country. This matter needs to be addressed.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

In replying to the Senator, I will outline the national policy response to the accommodation of the homeless and then deal more specifically with the local situation raised by the Senator.

Responsibility for providing accommodation for homeless persons over 18 years of age is a matter for local authorities acting as housing authorities for their functional areas. The provision of accommodation for homeless young people under 18 years of age is the responsibility of health boards under the Child Care Act, 1991.

Local authorities provide accommodation directly through lettings in their housing stock, either new building or casual vacancies, and by assisting voluntary bodies who provide accommodation. The number of first time house lettings has been increasing since the expansion of the local authority housing programme in the past two years. Indeed, with last year's housing starts, together with the expanded programme this year, the number of completions, including acquisitions this year, will be the highest since 1986. This increased availability of new dwellings will reduce housing waiting lists and benefit homeless people.

It is important to realise that local authority housing is only part of the picture and that the various social housing schemes, such as the capital assistance scheme and the rental subsidy and shared ownership schemes, are important parts of the overall social housing programme. In the past two years, up to 16,000 households, including homeless persons, were taken from the local authority housing lists through new local authority housing, casual vacancies and other social housing schemes.

Local authorities have wide powers under the Housing Act, 1988, to provide accommodation, other than by direct lettings, for homeless people and to assist in providing for the immediate accommodation needs of homeless people. My Department recoups 90 per cent of local authorities' expenditure on this service and the amount of recoupment paid had increased from £678,000 in 1992 to £1.359 million in 1994. The 1995 provision is increased further to £1.5 million.

As regards Ennis Urban District Council, the number of first time lettings increased last year. This increase has occurred due to the increase in the local authority housing programme. I am announcing the 1995 new house starts for each housing authority today and Ennis Urban District Council will benefit from the increase of 400 starts in the overall programme. In April 1993, my predecessor, Minister Stagg, officially opened a scheme of 26 houses for elderly and homeless people provided by Respond at Drumbiggle/ Market Square, Ennis, for which funding amounting to £568,000 was provided by my Department in 1991-92. Also homeless persons can obtain assistance with the cost of renting accommodation in the private sector under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme funded by the Department of Social Welfare.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to paying particular attention to the problem of homelessness and to endeavouring to provide a range of housing options suitable to the needs of homeless people. In addition to providing increased resources for the local authority housing construction programme, the funding for the capital assistance scheme for voluntary bodies has been increased from £13 million in 1994 to £15 million in 1995. A large part of this provision, approximately between one-third and one-half, is expended on the provision of accommodation for homeless people.

At a national level, the means of catering for the accommodation needs of homeless persons have been put in place. It is then the responsibility of the local authority, Ennis Urban District Council or Clare County Council, to use the various options open to them to ensure that any persons unfortunate enough to find themselves homeless have accommodation available to them.