Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
245. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of emergency accommodation facilities currently in use nationwide; the proportion of these facilities that have been inspected in the past 12 months; the body or bodies responsible for carrying out such inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27835/26]
View answer246. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the standards and regulations governing emergency accommodation; the mechanisms in place to ensure compliance with these standards; the number of facilities found to be non-compliant in the past two years; the nature of such non-compliance; the actions taken in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27836/26]
View answer247. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the frequency with which emergency accommodation facilities are inspected; whether inspections are announced or unannounced; the number of inspections carried out in each of the past three years; the outcomes of these inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27837/26]
View answer248. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the procedures in place for residents of emergency accommodation to make complaints; the bodies responsible for handling such complaints; the number of complaints received in each of the past three years; the average time taken to resolve such complaints. [27838/26]
View answer249. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the oversight mechanisms in place to monitor the quality of emergency accommodation; whether independent audits are conducted; the steps being taken to improve transparency and accountability in the provision of such accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27839/26]
View answer250. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the enforcement actions available where emergency accommodation providers fail to meet required standards; whether any providers have had contracts suspended or terminated due to non-compliance; the details of such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27840/26]
View answerI propose to take Question Nos 245,246,247,248,249 and 250 together.
My 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to local authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Details on the type and operation of homeless services including details of emergency accommodation centres in use are a matter for individual local authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum. Financial reports from each of the regional fora, setting out total expenditure on homeless services and the type of services including emergency accommodation in each region are published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data
To assist in ensuring that homeless services provided are of a high standard, a National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) was developed by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) in partnership with the NGO Sector, the HSE, and other key stakeholders. The standards framework has been adopted nationally for all local authority and NGO services.
Given the increase in contracting private accommodation exclusively for the use of homeless households and to ensure standards in these facilities, the DRHE adapted the NQSF standards to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation.
The standards contained in 'Quality Standards for Private Emergency Accommodation' have been developed with regard to the different service models in Private Emergency Accommodation i.e. different entities providing the facility and the supports. As was the case with the roll-out of the NQSF to NGO services, a developmental approach to the roll out of these standards is being taken. The ultimate aim is to ensure that standards are being applied and monitored across all facilities, irrespective of whether they are NGO or privately operated.
My Department does not hold the detailed information requested as it is a matter for local authorities to monitor standards.
In Dublin, an in-house standards team monitor compliance with the NQSF for NGO facilities under the service level agreements in place. These include checks on the physical standards, occupancy, supports and hygiene. The DRHE has also appointed an officer to monitor the standards in Private Emergency Accommodation (PEA) facilities. Information in relation to the application, monitoring and governance of standards, including published inspection reports, for Dublin based emergency accommodation is available from the DRHE at the following link: www.homelessdublin.ie/our-work/quality-standards.
