Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 October 2014
257. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the guidelines for usage of the pathway accommodation and support system to record homelessness; if risk of homelessness is quantified or measured in any way by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38805/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2009 National Implementation Plan for the Homeless Strategy provides for the development and implementation of a single integrated national data information system on the use of homeless services. The usage of the Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS) by homeless service providers has been established by housing authorities as a criteria for the provision of State funding on homelessness. Dublin City Council provides PASS as a national shared service, whereby statutory and non-governmental homelessness service providers throughout the country can avail of the software package without the requirement for costly individual support and licence arrangements and with Dublin City Council providing user support. PASS records the details of homeless services that are funded through housing authorities under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 and whereby the individuals using such services are defined as homeless under Section 2 of that Act.
Data on the risk of homelessness is not recorded on PASS. However, within the overall approach to addressing homelessness, particular attention is paid to homelessness prevention, including in relation to specific vulnerable groups at risk of becoming homeless.
