Families in Garda stations
Deputy Doherty raises reports of families being referred to Garda stations because emergency accommodation was unavailable and asks for the numbers involved. Deputy English condemns the situation, says he will try to obtain the figures, and agrees to send them on.
This morning there were reports of families sleeping in Garda stations. I understand in April and May there was a dramatic increase in the number of families unable to secure emergency accommodation. These families are then referred to Garda stations for child protection reasons. We can all agree it is a completely unacceptable situation. It is another example of the failure of the Minister with responsibility for housing to get to grips with the problem. Will the Minister of State tell us how many referrals to Garda stations happened in the months of March, April and May of this year? Will he tell us what the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is doing to get to grips with the issue? Will he assure us the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Justice and Equality will come up with a co-ordinated approach to deal with this problem?
Comment on this
I do not have the figures for the numbers that presented to Garda stations but I can certainly try to get them for the Deputy. There is no reason for people to spend a night in Garda accommodation. There is no reason for it whatsoever. There are a lot of service providers and €120 million was spent this year directly on homelessness services. People are placed in emergency accommodation. Sometimes people present as homeless late at night and the services are not there and they end up in Garda stations. There is no need for it. In the stories that were reported in the media at the weekend, people said they knew they were going to be homeless. They would not need to go to a Garda station. The services are there. A lot of people are moving through emergency accommodation and placed in homes. Last year, the number was 4,700. There has been a lot of movement. The numbers are still far too high. We all accept that. It is untrue to say that the numbers presenting have been increasing in Dublin. They have been decreasing. Overall the figures nationally are still far too high. We are dealing with that but it is not true to say there has been an increase in presentations in March and April.
Comment on this
If the Minister of State sends those figures, it would be very helpful.