Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
305. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to expand the data provided in the monthly homelessness reports to include breakdowns of the number of children living in emergency accommodation, by age categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23211/26]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level.
My Department currently gathers and publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by local authorities. These reports are based on data provided by local authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS).
The monthly homelessness report includes details of individuals, families and the dependants of these families who accessed emergency accommodation during the relevant count week of the month in question. The report also includes the number of adults in emergency accommodation by age band and region. The most recently published data is in respect of January 2026. The reports are collated on a regional basis and are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/homelessness-data and are also published to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation's open data portal https://data.gov.ie/.
There are no plans to provide further age-related breakdowns for dependents in families accessing emergency accommodation.
