Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
370. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any formal risk assessment has been carried out regarding the sustainability of emergency accommodation capacity under projected population growth trends. [36254/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe role of my Department 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.
My Department has a number of measures in place to support the monitoring of trends and to anticipate the future demand for homelessness accommodation.
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.
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/].
The Department carefully monitors the data contained in the 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. As part of the budgetary process, my Department engages with the Department of Public Expenditure in relation to the budget required to meet future demands.
In addition, the National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC), which I chair, is a cross-governmental and inter-agency oversight group with membership drawn from key Departments, agencies and stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and the International Protection Accommodation Services.
The overarching objective of NHAC is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across government, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to address homelessness. Beyond this, the committee also has a role in addressing emerging homeless-related issues and in developing further responses. Full membership as well as previous minutes of meetings of NHAC are published on my Department's website and can be found at the following link: [www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/national-homeless-action-committee/].
