<p>
	Housing Minister Simon Coveney insisted Ireland will achieve its July target of ending reliance on hotels and B&amp;Bs for long-term accommodation for homeless families.</p>
<p>
	His vow came as dozens of families fear having to leave their hotel accommodation because of bookings pressure from St Patrick&#39;s Day tourists.</p>
<p>
	One Dublin family of five admitted they would have nowhere to go after being told they had to vacate the hotel where they had been staying because of tourist bookings.</p>
<p>
	Mr Coveney acknowledged that such reliance on hotels for homeless accommodation was not acceptable - and urged families to avail of the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) support service.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Difficulties</p>
<p>
	&quot;There are over 800 families that are either in hotels or B&amp;B accommodation,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	&quot;There are about two-thirds of families in hotels and B&amp;B accommodation who are dealt with through the Place Finders Service in the Dublin regional homeless executive.</p>
<p>
	&quot;The other third effectively self-accommodate. If any families are having difficulties at the moment with accommodation, they need to contact the Dublin regional homeless executive.&quot;</p>
<p>
	Read more: Almost 400 families in Dublin have been living in emergency accommodation for more than one year - new figures</p>
<p>
	Mr Coveney pointed out that the Dublin family told to vacate their hotel accommodation were found alternative lodgings within hours.</p>
<p>
	&quot;If there are issues, they will be resolved - that is always the way it is in the build-up to bank holiday weekends or busy times,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	&quot;If there are pressures, we will obviously help families to find the accommodation that they need.&quot;</p>
<p>
	Mr Coveney admitted that such reliance on hotels and B&amp;Bs was not acceptable.</p>
<p>
	&quot;We want to end this reliance on it (hotels) as emergency accommodation - I have made that perfectly clear,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	&quot;We are working intensively now to ensure that we find alternative long-term accommodation through social housing supports, through long-term leasing and rental accommodation so that families are in homes and not in hotel rooms.</p>
<p>
	&quot;That is a big priority for the Government.</p>
<p>
	&quot;It was always going to be a pressurised position to do that because we have a lot of families that have come in to homelessness in the past six months and are currently in hotel accommodation.</p>
<p>
	&quot;But we are determined that the target we have set by the middle of this year can be met.&quot;</p>
<p>
	Charities including Focus Ireland, St Vincent de Paul, Simon and Threshold have repeatedly hit out that families - particularly those with young children - have to rely on hotel or B&amp;B accommodation.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	(Published by the Irish Independent on the 16th March 2017)</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/coveney-vows-to-end-hotel-use-for-homeless-by-july-35536062.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/coveney-vows-to-end-hotel-use-for-homeless-by-july-35536062.html</a></p>
