Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
590. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when Galway City Council will be given its homeless allocation for 2026; if he will address the increased demand for homeless services in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36681/26]
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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 sets out the purposes for which costs may be incurred by housing authorities in respect of the provision of homeless accommodation and related services.
While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each of the nine homeless regions in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. It is a matter for the management group of the consultative forum, in the first instance, to determine the type and range of homeless emergency accommodation and related services, operational matters such as new services to meet capacity demand, and the funding required to address homelessness in each region.
My Department does not fund any homeless services directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards these costs. Under the funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of these funding arrangements with my Department.
Exchequer funding for homeless services is provided through my Department to housing authorities on a regional basis. Each region submits an annual expenditure programme and my Department approves a funding allocation. Galway is included in the West region for the purposes of homeless administration, along with Mayo and Roscommon, and Galway City Council is the lead authority.
An expenditure programme for 2026 has been submitted by Galway City Council in respect of the West region. My Department is currently engaging with the Council in order to address queries relating to this programme and a funding allocation for 2026 will be determined for the region on completion of this process. Local authorities continue to recoup expenditure for homeless services from the Department at regular intervals during the process of reviewing the submitted regional expenditure programmes.
