Minister Finneran responds to MakeRoom's 'Put homelessness at the Heart of the Housing Bill' campaign

Issued : Friday 13 March, 2009

26 February 2009

 

A chara,

 

I am writing to you in relation to your correspondence in connection with the recently launched online campaign by the MakeRoom group in relation to the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

 

In my intensive engagement in relation to the homeless agenda over the last 9 months since taking up my current post with representatives of the MakeRoom group and other bodies concerned with the issue of homelessness, I believe I have strongly demonstrated my own personal commitment, and that of the Government, to making substantial progress in this area, and to working in close co-operation with the range of players involved, including the voluntary sector service providers. Clear evidence in this regard can be found in the publication of the homeless strategy, the development of the strategy implementation plan, which is now close to completion, my response to the service evaluation and value for money review in Dublin completed late last year and the new leasing arrangements to be introduced to provide long-term housing, with supports, for people leaving homelessness.

 

In the context of my work in this area, I have clearly indicated my position in relation to a number of items. In particular, I have indicated my determination to place the local Homeless Fora and homelessness action plans on a statutory basis, through the introduction of amendments to the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill at Dáil Committee Stage. The Bill will also require housing services plans to have regard to the homeless action plans and other matters relating to the housing needs assessment and local authority allocation schemes are already being progressed in the Bill. The position regarding the statutory definition of homelessness was appropriately addressed in the Homeless Strategy and I have explained directly to representatives of the MakeRoom campaign that while the definition itself is not being changed, its application operationally is being reviewed, particularly to ensure consistency in practice across local authorities.

 

Against this background, I have to express my disappointment in relation to MakeRoom's recently launched online campaign in relation to the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. While it is, of course, a matter for MakeRoom's constituent organisations to decide on how they wish to progress any issues of concern to them, I believe the campaign is unnecessary, particularly in light of the already clearly stated positions on the various issues outlined above and my own and my Department's ongoing and regular contact with the MakeRoom group. Indeed, I believe it is legitimate to question whether the use of resources to mount this sort of campaign can be justified in the context of the current economic climate and the range of demands and priorities arising. I consider that the focus needs to be on maximising the effectiveness of homeless services and pursuing ways of getting the best possible value and productivity from available resources, particularly those provided from the public purse.

 

Within the constraints on staffing resources right across the public sector and the range of my Department's priority actions on housing, I have a small, but very strongly committed, team of people available to me to work on homeless issues. It should be fully understood that if my Department is to respond to correspondence and queries arising on foot of the sort of campaign recently launched by MakeRoom, it can only be done by diverting some of those scarce staff resources away from the priority work of actually implementing the new homeless strategy and getting the best possible value from the increased funding that we are providing for homelessness.

 

This is an outcome which I certainly do not want and I am sure the MakeRoom campaign would also accept would be very regrettable. I have therefore written to the Directors of the MakeRoom organisation in relation to this matter and asked that my response to them be published on the MakeRoom online campaign website so that the Government's position on the matters involved is clear to all those accessing the site.

Yours sincerely,

 

Michael Finneran T.D.,

Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas