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asked in the Dáil by Ciarán - Environment
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Dáil Questions
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25 October 2005
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Environment
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Information on Housing
Need
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Ciarán Cuffe
asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to improve the quality and timeliness of his Department’s information on the extent and nature of housing need, including homelessness, for example, by tracking flows of persons in and out of homelessness and by reporting age, family status and other characteristics of persons who are homeless, to be a priority for his Department.
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Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government:
The most recent assessment of need for local authority housing took place at end March 2005. My Department is finalising the analysis of returns furnished by local authorities. I anticipate publishing the results shortly.
The 2005 assessment of need is more detailed than previously and requires local authorities to submit data in electronic format to the Local Government Computer Services Board, LGCSB, for input into a data warehouse. This will enable my Department to improve its analysis of aggregate data in respect of all households, including homeless households. It is also envisaged that a new IT system being developed for housing authorities will provide the Department with information on housing needs on a more regular and up to date basis in the future.
It is recognised that a comprehensive data system is essential to monitor progress in addressing homelessness. In response to this the Homeless Agency, in conjunction with homeless service providers in Dublin, developed the LINK system, with funding provided by my Department. The purpose of the system is to improve and develop services and service delivery to homeless persons to ensure they receive a continuum of care based on an accurate and up to date assessment of their needs.
The LINK system is intended to help the local authorities to formulate appropriate responses to the accommodation needs of homeless households and individuals. It also facilitates the identification of their non-accommodation requirements and provides a basis for the formulation of responses to their case and support needs by the statutory and voluntary agencies involved.
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CiaranCuffe.com