Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
369. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has examined international models for integrating migration and homelessness forecasting into housing policy planning; and if so, which jurisdictions were examined. [36253/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for the sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development. The first revision to the NPF was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025.
As part of the broader body of work undertaken to inform the first revision to the NPF, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was engaged to provide updated population projections to 2040, based on demographic and econometric modelling, and having regard to the results of Census 2022 and other factors with potential to influence fertility, mortality and migration trends. Under the baseline scenario, the research projects that the population of the State will increase to approximately 5.7 million people by 2030 and 6.1 million by 2040. This projection forms the central core trajectory of projected population growth and underpins the strategy set out in the First Revision to the NPF.
The Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, is an integrated housing and homelessness plan that reaffirms the whole-of-Government approach to addressing the housing crisis. It sets a target of at least 300,000 homes to be delivered over its lifetime.
With regard to monitoring homelessness data and trends, my Department currently gathers and publishes data on a monthly basis that reports on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities. These reports are based on data provided by housing 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.
My Department also 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. The quarterly performance reports provide regional data on the reasons for presentation of single and family households that presented and entered emergency accommodation as well as regional data on single and family household exits from emergency accommodation to a secure tenancy. For information, the monthly homelessness reports and the quarterly performance reports 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/
My Department carefully monitors the data contained in monthly homelessness reports and the quarterly performance reports to identify trends and drivers of homelessness and uses this information to support informed policies and measures to address current and emerging needs. My Department takes account of the current costs, and forecasts the projected costs, arising from the provision of emergency accommodation and related services.
My Department is also currently working collaboratively with a wide range of other Government departments, led by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, to develop a National Migration and Integration Strategy detailing how Government intends to meet the demands and the opportunities facing Ireland’s society and economy over the next decade with the aim to publish Ireland’s first overarching whole-of-government National Migration and Integration Strategy later this year.
