Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 October 2017
11. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of his plans to roll out the national quality standards framework office inspection regime for emergency homeless accommodation; if all emergency accommodation, including commercial hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, will be covered by this; and if the office inspectorate will be fully independent of his Department and local authorities. [45346/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the previous Question Time taken by the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, I asked him to consider the creation of an independent inspection regime for emergency accommodation. He helpfully pointed me in the direction of the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, which is doing some work on a quality standards framework. I met the executive for a very detailed meeting and I was quite impressed by the content of what I was shown. However, three key issues remain unclear. When will this project start and what level of funding and staffing will it get? Will it be fully independent of the Department and the local authorities? Will it inspect and ensure the standards of all emergency accommodation, including commercial hotels and bed and breakfasts?
The provision of quality accommodation and related services for homeless persons is a key priority. My Department is currently working with housing authorities to ensure that homeless services are delivered to an appropriately professional and high standard by service providers and in accordance with service-level agreements. In order to support quality standards, housing authorities have arrangements in place locally to ensure that emergency accommodation is appropriate and safe. The Dublin Region Homeless Executive, for example, has an inspection programme in place which includes site visits and interaction with homeless families and individuals.
The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive has also been overseeing the development of a comprehensive quality standards framework, which can apply nationally. It has been co-ordinating the development of these standards in consultation with an advisory group, which includes representation from various housing authorities, service providers, Tusla, clients of homeless services and other stakeholders. The draft standards, which give service providers a framework for continuous quality improvement, have been piloted in over 20 selected services across the country since 2016, and positive feedback has been received.
The executive is preparing a final draft quality standards framework for formal submission to my Department. Upon receipt, along with any recommendations with regard to implementation from the executive and the advisory group, I will give consideration to how such standards, including any proposed new inspection regime or office for the inspection of emergency accommodation, could be meaningfully applied on a national basis by housing authorities.
To comment on today's homelessness figures, it is Orwellian in the extreme to suggest that there has been progress. The Minister is right the number of families in emergency accommodation in Dublin has fallen by a total of eight but the number of children in emergency accommodation in Dublin has increased by 37. That is not progress. The total number of adults, children and families across the State has increased and we now have approaching 8,500 adults and children in emergency accommodation.
I asked the Minister three simple questions. The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive has already presented the outworkings of its quality standards framework to the Department some three or four weeks ago. The questions are: when will it be set up, how much money will it get, how many staff will it get, will it be fully independent of the local authorities and the Department, and will all emergency accommodation, including commercial hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, be included? I would appreciate an answer to at least some of those questions.
We have to look at the trends on what is happening with homeless families and individuals.
Those trends are going up. There are more adults and children now homeless.
I would like to answer without being interrupted. The percentage reduction in the number of homeless families in Dublin between July and September was 3.4%. This compares with a cumulative increase of 3.2% in the three months to June and compares with the three months of July to September last year, when there was also a cumulative increase of 2.1%. We have had more families in Dublin exiting emergency accommodation than entering it for two months in a row, which is the first time that has happened in three years.
We do not separate children from their parents when we talk about meeting the needs of these families. Yes, there are more children, unfortunately, because larger families have presented as homeless and some of the families that have exited are smaller families and single parents. We treat them as a family unit and we look for homes for those families. Progress is being made and, while I recognise it is too slow, we are trying to do more work.
It is important for everyone in the voluntary sector and everybody in the local authorities who are working to do this to recognise that their efforts are helping and are making a difference.
That is not the question.
As a result of their efforts this year, today there are more than 2,500 families and individuals who are not in emergency accommodation-----
The Minister's efforts are not working.
Deputy Ó Broin will have another question.
-----and who would be, if not for their efforts. We are seeing some progress.
With regard to Deputy Ó Broin's other question I must wait until I get the quality standards framework from the Dublin regional homeless executive and the advisory group-----
The Minister has it.
-----as well as whatever recommendations are presented to me. When I have reviewed those I will have a better understanding of what will need to be put in place to make sure we can implement those recommendations.
Nobody doubts the work of the voluntary sector or the staff in councils or the Minister's own Department. I am simply saying that it is exactly the trends that matter. The overall trend is that the numbers of adults, children and families who are experiencing homelessness are up. The Minister is trying to put a positive spin on it to say that in Dublin for two months in a row the number of families has decreased. The Minister is right. It decreased by 32 families from July to August and by eight families from August to September. I welcome that decrease. The total number of children, however, who will sleep in emergency accommodation tonight in this city is more than it was one month ago. What is not working? The Minister's approach and the policies of his Government are not working.
On the principal question, it is my understanding that the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has had the report from the Dublin regional homeless executive for three to four weeks. Will the Minister confirm that he has got it? Will he also indicate when he might be in a position to answer the questions about when this vital service to inspect commercial and non-commercial emergency accommodation will be set up?
The trends are important, yes. The overall trend in Dublin for families is that the numbers of presentations is down two months in a row. This is the first time this has happened in three years and this is important. When we look back to the high numbers in March, the number of people living in hotels is also down about 20%. Again, this is an important trend. The trend in numbers increasing nationally is up, but it is up at a slower percent of increase than it was in the three months previous to the last three months. That is some progress and I believe it is important too. No one is happy with the numbers of people who are homeless or the number of families in emergency accommodation but the Government is working with local authorities, NGOs, the voluntary sector, religious organisations and individual citizens to try to help these people into sustainable, secure homes. That work is achieving something and we must recognise that. Those trends point to progress, albeit too slow, and it means the Government's efforts are making a difference. We will continue to work in that direction. It is my understanding that no formal submission has been made to me by the Dublin regional homeless executive on the quality standards framework. As soon as I formally receive that submission, and when I have the recommendations, I will then be able to see how we can best implement them.
