Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023
411. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify what health and safety standards local authorities are supposed to adhere to in the provision of emergency accommodation. [12475/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.
It is an operational matter for local authorities to monitor and implement standards in emergency accommodation. To assist in ensuring that homeless services provided are of a high standard, a National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) was developed by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) in partnership with the NGO Sector, the HSE, and other key stakeholders. HIQA lent support to the development process and in drafting the NQSF. The process from development to implementation of the standards framework ran from 2013 to 2019. The standards framework is now in place nationally for all local authority and NGO services.
The DRHE have also adapted the NQSF standards to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation (PEA). The draft standards for PEA were approved in 2021 and a developmental approach is being taken with the roll out.
