Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
1525 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of staff employed by the Homeless Agency partnership in the years 2007 to 2010, inclusive; and if the agency will meet its target of eliminating long-term homeless and the need to sleep rough by the end of 2010. [33997/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Homeless Agency does not operate directly under the aegis of my Department and its staffing is thus a matter, in the first instance, for Dublin City Council. My Department is aware that the staff complement of the Agency was 15 in 2007 to 2009 and 13 in 2010.
The core objective of the National Homelessness Strategy is to eliminate long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough by end 2010. The homeless counts carried out in Dublin in 2008 and 2009 showed good progress in reducing rough sleeping and a further rough sleeper count is to take place in November 2010. Action to address homelessness is primarily a matter for the housing authorities and the HSE, which have statutory responsibility for providing accommodation and health care services, respectively, for homeless persons. Responsibility for the allocation of tenancies rests with housing authorities.
My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.
A comprehensive range of measures has been put in place to underpin the role of housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards achieving the ambitious objectives of eliminating long term homelessness and ending the need to sleep rough. This includes an enhanced programme for procurement of accommodation, which was announced before Easter. Action to provide accommodation will be accompanied by the availability of supports, where necessary, to assist homeless people to progress to independent living in mainstream housing and maintain their tenancies on a long term basis. A public procurement process for the provision of a support service in Dublin has already been carried out and assessment of households in emergency or transitional homeless facilities for accommodation in mainstream housing is well advanced. I recently announced the approval of €60 million for the purchase, by approved housing bodies, of houses and apartments which will provide some 431 units of accommodation to meet the needs of persons with specific categories of housing need, including persons exiting temporary homeless accommodation, older people and persons with a physical, intellectual or mental health disability. Over 100 of these units will provide long-term accommodation for people who are moving out of temporary homeless accommodation.
Delivery on these initiatives will be determined primarily by action on the part of housing authorities and approved housing bodies and the response of market interests, including property owners and financial institutions. My Department is continuing to engage closely with the housing authorities to ensure that delivery of accommodation is maximised.
