merrion street

At its meeting today the Government approved the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness.

Housing Minister Jan O'Sullivan announced details of the plan to the media this evening in Government Buildings:

The plan covers the period to end 2016 and sets out a range of short and medium term approaches which will secure an appropriate supply of accommodation for homeless households.

Minister Jan O’Sullivan said:

This plan will deliver 2,700 units specifically for homeless people by the end of 2016. In the short term I expect significant supply from vacant units, with construction, acquisition and NAMA units also coming on stream and providing homes for people who are currently homeless.

Implementing this plan requires a whole-of-Government approach to addressing homelessness and to deal with the pressures that are now presenting. I was very pleased that there was full support among Cabinet colleagues for the Implementation Plan. There has been considerable pressure on homelessness services in recent months and it is vital that we bring a focused housing-led approach to addressing homelessness and rough sleeping.

The plan contains 80 actions that are direct, immediate and solutions based and which contribute to the delivery of this ring-fenced supply of accommodation between 2014 and the end of 2016. Responsibility for implementation of the various actions are assigned to the relevant stakeholders

A number of priority areas have been identified in the plan including the accommodation of rough sleepers, the management and use of vacant properties, the practical application of local authority housing allocations; and the timely and appropriate utilisation of NAMA units.

The Minister also said that capital funding to support the plan is being provided:

In the coming days I will announce details of €25m in funding for capital projects specifically for people who are homeless. This funding will comprise a combination of construction and acquisition projects that will provide appropriate units quickly.

This is an ambitious but a realistic implementation plan. It will be closely monitored and any obstacles to progress will be identified and addressed as a priority. We can end long-term homelessness and I will be working closely with all partners over the coming months to ensure that we achieve this goal by the end of 2016.

Read the full press release

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