Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 November 2014
534. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons from the Traveller community who are homeless at present; and his views on whether a special recognition of the unique position of homeless Travellers is needed. [43244/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraData on homeless households in emergency accommodation is provided through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). Quarterly reports from lead housing authorities are being published on my Department's website as soon as these are available. In addition, lead housing authorities provide monthly reports on homelessness which identify the number of people utilising State-funded emergency accommodation on a regional and county basis. These monthly reports are also available on my Department's website at, http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/.
Data on homeless travellers 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.
Households that are qualified for social housing support are recorded by housing authorities through social housing assessments. When assessing the housing need of an applicant household for social housing support, each housing authority records, among other information, details on the household’s current tenure. This information is reflected in the statutory summary of Social Housing Assessments which provides details of the number of households qualified for social housing support and on housing authority waiting lists. The latest summary was carried out at 7 May 2013, in accordance with Section 21 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and the results are available on my Department’s website at http://www.environ.ie/en/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf.
I have no plans to amend the current arrangements for collecting data.
