COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, January 23, 2017

QUESTION NO. 12

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

"To ask the Chief Executive if he has made any progress since the last response to this Councillor on dealing with Homeless families, including rough sleepers, in the Tallaght area; will he confirm his plans to ensure that such families are offered temporary accommodation in the Tallaght region rather than in the city centre and will he present an update?"

REPLY:

The Council currently operates two facilities in the Tallaght Area. Tallaght Cross which houses 64 families on a temporary basis and is managed by Tuath Housing and Killininny House which offers accommodation for 21 single men and an additional 9 placements as step down/transitional in Glenn na Horna in Springfiled and 4 in Clondalkin managed by the Peter McVerry Trust.  The Council also has nomination rights to a hotel in the Tallaght Area for placement of South Dublin Families. All other Hotel & B&B accommodation is operated through the Central Placement Services and is not in the control of this local authority, and as a result the service can only offer the accommodation that is available on any given day.

Placement in the Tallaght Area is not guaranteed, there is only a certain amount of availability and all places are fully occupied. There is a waiting list for accommodation in the Tallaght Area which is allocated by time on list, family size and immediate need.

However all families included on the Homeless Register are notified to the Focus Family HAT who appoint a Case Worker to assist those families in obtaining private rented accommodation or moving out of hostels or other temporary accommodaiton

SDCC is also working with Focus Ireland on the HAP Preventative Measure to assist and prevent families at risk from becoming homelessness.

The Council also operates an outreach service and multi-agency approach to address rough sleepers and offeres of temporary accommodation have been made in all cases that are known.  Not all rough sleepers are willing to take up such offers.  In these cases our outreach service links in with them with a view to providing as much support as possible and endeavouring to link them in with services that are in a position to assist them