Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
201. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out the total expenditure in 2025 on emergency homeless accommodation, with a breakdown for the amount paid out to private providers. [37508/26]
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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at 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.
My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services. Under Exchequer funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Exchequer funding arrangements provided by my Department. Therefore, the exact amounts spent by housing authorities on homeless services including emergency accommodation, the amounts paid to private operators, as well as the type and operation of homeless services are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.
Exchequer funding for homeless services is provided through my Department to housing authorities on a regional basis and a lead authority is in place for each region. The table below sets out the Exchequer funding provided to the each of the nine homeless regions for 2025:
Exchequer funding provided to Homeless Regions - 2025
|
Region (Lead Authority) |
€ |
|
Dublin (Dublin City Council) |
318,905,871 |
|
Mid East (Kildare County Council) |
16,840,551 |
|
Midlands (Westmeath County Council) |
7,901,940 |
|
Mid West (Limerick City & County Council) |
19,908,438 |
|
North East (Louth County Council) |
7,895,555 |
|
North West (Sligo County Council) |
3,905,472 |
|
South East (Waterford City & County Council) |
11,605,166 |
|
South West (Cork City Council) |
43,412,017 |
|
West (Galway City Council) |
18,402,333 |
Financial reports from each of the homeless regions setting out their expenditure on homeless emergency accommodation and related services are published on my Department's website at the following link: [www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data].
