Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 January 2015
226. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding responses to the issues of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2005/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 20 May 2014, the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness was published in which the Government's approach to delivery on its objective of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016 was outlined. A copy of this plan is available on my Department's website at, http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/.
This plan sets out a range of measures to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households within the next three years and mobilise the necessary supports. Progress in implementing the plan is reported quarterly through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform and a copy of the Quarter 3 2014 Progress Report is also available on my Department's website at the link provided above.
On 4 December 2014, I hosted a special Summit on Homelessness to reaffirm the Government's commitment to end involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. The Summit was attended by Oireachtas members, elected members and officials from the four Dublin Local Authorities, representatives from Government Departments, State Agencies and the NGO sector, and the Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops of Dublin.
A number of actions arising from the Summit were considered at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform on 8 December and were then formalised into an Action Plan to Address Homelessness which was noted by the Government at its meeting on 9 December 2014. In addition to those actions which constitute an immediate response to the issue of rough sleeping in Dublin, actions have been identified which tackle the more systemic issues, classified under the three categories of the 'housing-led' approach. A copy of this action plan is available on my Department's website at the link provided above. Progress in implementing this plan was considered by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform at its meeting on 17 December.
The long-term solution to homelessness is to increase the supply of homes. In November 2014, I launched the Government's Social Housing Strategy. This six-year strategy sets out to provide 35,000 new social housing units at a cost of €3.8 billion and restores the State to a central role in the provision of social housing through a resumption of direct building on a significant scale by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
