Budget for homeless services in Dublin remains at last year’s level of €51m

THIS year’s budget for accommodation and other services for the homeless will remain at the 2004 allocation of €51 million.

Housing and Urban Renewal Minister Noel Ahern yesterday confirmed the 2005 allocation, which many had expected to be increased in line with last autumn’s so-called Inchdoney strategy to focus on more vulnerable sectors of Irish society.

However, a spokesman for Mr Ahern pointed out that although €51m was allocated last year, the actual spend only came to €45m and that this year’s allocation was in fact a rise.

Mr Ahern was announcing 31 voluntary sector projects in Dublin that would receive €15.92m. The projects span the four local authority areas and form part of a €38m overall budget for the greater Dublin area.

The Government has also pledged €17.15m to the four Dublin local authorities for the provision of private sector emergency accommodation.

“Over €15.92m is now being allocated to the voluntary sector organisations involved in the provision of accommodation, outreach, settlement and day services and programmes for homeless persons across the four Dublin local authority areas,” said Mr Ahern.

The Labour Party spokesperson on the environment Eamon Gilmore said he had no issue with the amount allocated but argued that the large amounts of money being provided to local authorities was a direct result of the failure of the Government’s housing policies.

“If you examine the allocation you will see that most is not going to those who we traditionally consider as homeless,” he said.

“It is going to the new homeless, those who are forced to stay in B&Bs because of the serious shortfalls in social housing provision,” he said.

While acknowledging that progress had been made under the strategy, he pointed to a recent report by the National Economic and Social Council, which said there was a need to more than double the output of social housing.

Noel Ahern also said that long-term considerations would now be prioritised.

“We are now in a position to look beyond the provision of emergency accommodation to long-term accommodation,” he said.