Homeless liaison support delays
Deputy Troy described a homeless constituent who could not even get allocated a housing liaison officer in Westmeath and said ground-level services were lagging behind Government announcements. The Tánaiste referred the matter to the Housing Minister, who asked for the details and said the local authority should act quickly.
To follow on from my colleague, Deputy Cowen's comments on the homelessness crisis, when I contacted Westmeath County Council on behalf of a constituent yesterday, I was informed that there was a waiting list, not just to be allocated a house, but to be allocated a homeless housing liaison officer. There is a waiting list just to be dealt with by someone from the council.
While I acknowledge the Government's press releases, reports and strategies, will the Tánaiste acknowledge that not all of these proposals are filtering through to ground level? A woman in her mid-50s cannot even get help from a homeless liaison officer. The system is not working.
Comment on this
I will happily answer. If that is happening, it should not be, and I would like the Deputy to give me the details. We are working with local authorities across the country to improve services for people who are in a vulnerable place, that is, without a home. If someone, such as the person referred to by the Deputy, is not being dealt with and provided with information quickly, then given the pressures she is under, I need to know about it and we will act on it. Give me the details and we will contact the local authority.