Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
723. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of times the Southwest Regional Homeless Forum met in 2025 and to date in 2026; the dates of these meetings; and the number of attendees. [30540/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy 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 local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities.
While responsibility for the provision of accommodation and related services 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 region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services, funding required and operational matters such as the number of Homeless Consultative Forum meetings in each region are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.
My Department publishes quarterly Progress Reports which are based on quarterly Performance Reports submitted by the nine regional lead authorities responsible for the administration of homeless services at local level. These quarterly Performance Reports include information on the organisations that attend the regional Management Group, Consultative Fora and Homeless Action Team meetings and the dates that these meetings occurred within the quarter.
These 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/.
