COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE
Monday, February 27, 2017
QUESTION NO. 7
QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor
"To ask the Chief Executive if he will make a statement on actions being taken to facilitate Rough Sleepers in the Tallaght village area; will he appreciate the concerns of the local community in the matter and give assurances that these people will be helped?"
REPLY:
"The most recent rough sleeper count took place on the 22nd of November, 2016 in which seven people were identified rough sleeping across the county. A number of those wished to be placed in emergency accommodation and with the co-operation of The Peter McVerry Trust places where found for those people into their service. The winter cold weather initiative has been launched by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and an additional capacity of beds has been allocated to South Dublin County Council for both men and women service users.
The Council operates an outreach service and multi-agency approach to address rough sleepers across the County. The Outreach worker works closely with the HSE in particular in identifying rough sleepers and sourcing appropriate accommodation and support services. The needs of rough sleepers are often very complex and challenging and require a comprehensive and coordinated approach. The Homeless Forum under the auspice of the South Dublin County Partnership is currently finalising a work plan for 2017 which will include actions around improved coordinating of services, sharing of information and preventative measures.
Killininney House offers accommodation for 21 single men and an additional 9 placements as step down/transitional in Glenn na Horna in Springfield managed by the Peter McVerry Trust. Other hostel type 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.
Dublin City Council is the lead authority in terms of Homeless Services for the Dublin Region. Funding for Homeless accommodation and preventative measures comes from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government with a contribution from each of the Dublin authorities. Funding is also provided for a number of services from the Department of Health/HSE. There is a total provision of €2.6M from SDCC in 2016 and 2017 towards homeless service and provision. Any additional funding for added services is sought from the relevant Departments through Dublin City Council as lead agency."