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 7 o’clock
(Speaker Continuing)
[Deputy Eoghan Murphy:   ] We are currently working to assess whether we can put in deadlines within each of those stages so people can be clear as to exactly how long procurement should take through the normal process.
Again, we have had the framework since January of this year and I talked about procurement for rapid build and how quickly that can be done. When we talk about dealing with our homelessness crisis - the Deputy mentioned modular housing, which is separate from rapid build, involves a prefabricated house and is different from a modular home - the Minister of State, Deputy English, and I are currently looking at options and a potentially quicker process that might help homeless families and assist local authorities in meeting their needs. That is something we are examining and I will not be able to speak about it until we have made a definite decision. When we do, I hope it will be a positive one because that will be another lever by means of which we can help people who need our help the most in terms of finding accommodation and sustainable homes.
Regeneration Projects Funding
10. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a project (details supplied) in Dublin 8 will be funded directly through Exchequer revenue rather than a private sector-led land initiative. [45348/17]
Deputy Eoin Ó Broin: The Minister of State knows Sinn Féin's strong concerns about the funding model that is being used for the land initiatives at O'Devaney Gardens and St. Michael's Estate. Given the long history of failed and collapsed regeneration projects at this location and in light of the very active involvement of the local community, will the Minister of State not consider taking this out of the funding model of the land initiatives and, instead, directly fund a council-led, mixed-tenure estate, including social and affordable housing, to meet the needs of that community?
Deputy Damien English: The area in question is one of three development sites that Dublin City Council intends to bring to the market and which offer the combined potential to provide over 1,600 homes and the opportunity to create three new, high-quality urban quarters. Accordingly, it is not intended to fund this project solely through the Exchequer. However, taxpayer funding will be a crucial element of the project, particularly in terms of public housing delivery. My Department looks forward to receiving a proposal from Dublin City Council in respect of this very important project very soon.
The final model for each site, including the different types of housing provision that will be included, will be the subject of careful consideration by Dublin City Council, including the elected members. They are best placed to consider the options to respond to the housing need in their area and I understand the city council has already commenced preparatory steps in regard to these developments, including consultation with local communities.
The Deputy will be aware that, in terms of housing alone, very significant investment has already been made in the St. Michael's Estate area, with over €20 million provided for the development of new homes at Thornton Heights. This demonstrates the Government's commitment to investing in the regeneration of this area. I expect that Dublin City Council will carefully consider the next steps in this regard and my Department will continue to engage with the council regarding the public housing element and associated investment. However, it is important that any future investment takes place within the context of a planned approach to securing a sustainable mixed tenure development.
It would have been in the council's own development plan that this was to be a mixed tenure development, and I presume the councillors would all have supported that at the time. There is agreement around the 30% social, 20% affordable and 50% private.
Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett: Not in the community.
Deputy Damien English: It is an area of high social housing. I have discussed this in many arenas outside this House and know many members of the community favour the approach of a mixed development. I think Sinn Féin would rather it was all paid for by the State, with some houses then sold on as private houses, and that it is not against a private housing mix, although the Deputy can correct me on that. That is where we stand. Hopefully, this can move on in quarter 1 of 2018, when the local authority goes out to procurement.
Deputy Eoin Ó Broin: It is important to remember that the origin of these schemes does not come from the councils but from a time when there was no central government funding available for any kind of scheme, whether mono-tenure or mixed. The difficulty with the funding model the Government is essentially imposing on the local authorities is, first, it does not allow the right quantity of social, affordable rental and affordable sale housing, and there is no guarantee that the affordable rental or affordable sale housing will actually be affordable. There is a real need to undertake a pilot project - we think St. Michael's is a good example - to show that a fully State-funded, council-led, mixed-tenure estate with social, affordable rental and purchase housing, at genuinely affordable prices, would not only deliver a better mix and meet the housing needs of the local community, but would deliver better value for money and greater levels of affordability. In fact, if the Minister of State asked Dublin City councillors whether they would prefer a State-funded, council-led scheme on this site or the model that has been imposed on them, they would opt for the first of those. That is why I am asking the Minister of State to consider this as a pilot and to compare this with his preferred option for O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road. He will find the arguments we are making on St. Michael's stack up.
Deputy Damien English: This is a process we are engaged in with Dublin City Council and we can engage further with it around the percentages. I have said before that I think it is a key site for workers, given it is so close to the hospitals.
Deputy Eoin Ó Broin: If they can afford the properties.
Deputy Damien English: They can be afforded. This is a State-owned site. It is a key site and, if it is managed properly, it can deliver all the Deputy wants it to deliver. We have to try to make the best use of taxpayers' money. There is an opportunity to bring this forward, with a proper mixed tenure, which is part of a rejuvenation and regeneration of the area. As I said, it was signalled in the development plan. I believe we all want the same result; it is just a question of how it is funded. I think the funding model we have proposed can work very well on this site. I hope it progresses at speed because it was agreed last January and it is time to move it on. Again, the local authority can come back in with its proposals. If it wants to tweak it, we are willing to look at that with it.
Emergency Accommodation Provision
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]
Deputy Eoin Ó Broin: At 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?
Deputy Eoghan Murphy: 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.
Deputy Eoin Ó Broin: 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.
Deputy Eoghan Murphy: We have to look at the trends on what is happening with homeless families and individuals.
Deputy Eoin Ó Broin: Those trends are going up. There are more adults and children now homeless.
Deputy Eoghan Murphy: 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. |
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