asked the Minister for Health if the ad hoc committee which is at present examining the division of responsibilities between health boards and local authorities for providing accommodation for homeless persons has met with representatives of any voluntary organisations active in the area; if it plans to do so; when the committee is likely to report; and if its report will be published.

4.

asked the Miniister for Health when he expects to receive the report of the ad hoc committee which was established to clarify the responsibilities as between health boards and local authorities in respect of making provision to care for the needs of homeless people; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

The ad hoc committee has invited submissions from a number of voluntary organisations involved in the area of homelessness. The committee also indicated that it would be pleased to meet with representatives of these organisations who might wish to give oral evidence. One voluntary organisation so far has indicated that it wishes to make an oral submission and arrangements will be made to meet its representatives.

I expect the ad hoc committee to report within six months. The report will be made available to all statutory and voluntary agencies involved in caring for homeless people and to anybody else who wishes to obtain a copy.

Three months ago the Minister indicated that a report from the ad hoc committee would be available soon. I understood it would be available in a matter of weeks. Now it appears it will be available in six months. Could the Minister indicate what organisation have been contacted by the Department and which ones have agreed to make submissions? Could he also indicate if this report will be made available to Deputies?

The report will certainly be made available to Deputies. The committee met first on 4 February. It was set up by me because the health boards have been finding increasing difficulty in providing accommodation for homeless persons and because neither the health nor the housing legislation provides clear guidelines as to the division of responsibility between local authorities and health boards. The three Departments involved are Health, Social Welfare and the Environment, together with the health boards and local authorities, and submissions have been received from Simon, from the housing centre in Liberty Hall and a submission is also expected from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Simon Community have also expressed an interest in making an oral submission. I expect the report will be received around September. It is an informally established ad hoc committee on homelessness. I will certainly urge them to expedite the work but it will certainly take that time to have a report.

Am I to take it from the Minister's reply that the health boards have a function in housing the homeless?

They quite definitely have. Under the Act they have a specific responsibility but there is a need to coordinate activities in this area between the Department of the Environment, the Department of Social Welfare, the Department of Health and the local authorities and health boards.

I would like the Minister to give a direction to the health boards because there is a great deal of buck-passing between the various bodies in regard to housing the homeless and I believe a direction should be possible at this stage.

Would the Minister agree this is an anomalous situation which should not be allowed to continue indefinitely and will he make every effort to resolve the conflict as to which Department carries the responsibility? This difficulty — I am sure the Minister is aware of this or is he — was identified over 12 months ago. Which authority has responsibility for homeless persons? I am sure the Minister will agree these people are a most deserving section and deserve more attention from his Department and the Department of the Environment than they have seemingly received up to now. I ask the Minister to give an assurance that every effort will be made to resolve the conflict immediately and provide accommodation for the numbers of homeless persons in the State.

I would like to commend the health boards because within their limited resources they are providing accommodation. Last Friday in Tullamore I went to the night centre there and I saw the accommodation provided. It is excellent. A number of health boards are providing accommodation to the tune of about 1,750 places. The problem is a growing one and because it is, the first meeting of this ad hoc departmental committee was held on 4 February last. They have been working on the problem since. Health boards find that the problem of homelessness is becoming increasingly part of their responsibility and because it is they expressed concern to the Department. There will be no delay in bringing forward the recommendations of the committee and no reluctance on my part to publish those recommendations.

Would the Minister not agree that what is required in this area is a national policy to deal with the 3,000 approximately homeless persons who have to be given temporary accommodation of one kind or another? Would he also agree that the money provided by the health boards is totally inadequate? I refer to the Dundalk situation where £5,000 is provided to assist in the provision of accommodation for 25 homeless persons. The ad hoc committee which was set up in February last contacted the Simon Community only last week for a submission and there does not seem to be a proper degree of urgency in dealing with this problem.

These two questions deal with the report of a committee concerning the homeless, and I would ask Deputies not to avail of the opportunity to have a full dress debate on the particular problem.

I did attempt to raise this matter on a number of occasions on the Adjournment and I failed.

The Deputy may have better luck next time.