Local authorities in the Dublin area are spending less on housing homeless people in B&B accommodation and hostels, new figures show.
The widespread use of emergency accommodation has been criticised by homeless support groups as expensive and inappropriate for families and children.
Minister of State for Housing Noel Ahern yesterday said the reduction in B&B spending was due to Dublin City Council's restructuring of the sector.
"We are now in a position to look beyond the provision of emergency accommodation," Mr Ahern said. "Our focus must be on long-term accommodation and the non-accommodation supports required to enable the people involved to move out of homelessness."
The Minister made the comments as independent consultants undertake a review of the Government's strategy for tackling homelessness.
One of its key aims is that no one should stay in emergency accommodation for longer than a month. However, many homeless people are spending a year in B&Bs.
Government figures for 2002 show there are more than 5,500 homeless people in Ireland, the majority of whom live in some form of emergency accommodation.
State funding allocations announced yesterday show that about a third of overall State funding (€17.15 million) will be spent on providing B&B-type accommodation in Dublin compared to half of overall funding on homeless services in 2003.
Overall, €51 million in State money will be allocated towards the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless people this year. Just over €36 million will be directed to services in the Dublin areas.
The allocations, which represent a small increase compared to last year, are based on the recommendations of the Homeless Agency.
Focus Ireland is the biggest recipient of funds (€3.8 million), followed by the Salvation Army (€2.2 million) and the Dublin Simon Community (€1.8 million).
The chief executive of Focus Ireland, Declan Jones, welcomed the Minister's comments regarding the need to look towards permanent housing to effectively tackle homelessness. However, he said, much remained to be done in dealing with this issue.
Under the five-year National Anti-Poverty Strategy, the Government committed itself to building 41,500 local authority social housing units by 2007. However, most recent statistics from the Department of Environment show only 12,838 houses have been built so far.
The Dublin Simon Community welcomed its funding allocation and underlined the need for more permanent accommodation.
The charity's interim chief executive, Sam McGuinness, said: "We're in the middle of a review of a national strategy. We've done well, but we need to shift direction now."
Homeless agencies are still waiting for details of health-related funding allocations, which are crucial to the delivery of a range of services.
Meanwhile, €3.3 million is being allocated to Dublin authorities for the direct provision of accommodation, resettlement, administrative and other services in their respective areas.
Government officials say this sum will be significant in supporting homeless people in the transition towards independent living in private rented or local authority accommodation.
