Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
593. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will detail the cost to the State/total amount paid out on the provision of emergency homeless accommodation in each of the past 15 years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45762/26]
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.
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 Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. 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 the amounts spent on emergency accommodation facilities 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. Total funding provided for each of the years 2011 – 2025 is set out in the table below;
|
Exchequer Funding Provided under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 - €m |
|
|
2011 |
€48.12 |
|
2012 |
€46.55 |
|
2013 |
€45.00 |
|
2014 |
€49.21 |
|
2015 |
€64.77 |
|
2016 |
€88.68 |
|
2017 |
€109.24 |
|
2018 |
€140.00 |
|
2019 |
€164.99 |
|
2020 |
€270.89 |
|
2021 |
€223.50 |
|
2022 |
€242.45 |
|
2023 |
€316.99 |
|
2024 |
€385.00 |
|
2025 |
€448.78 |
Financial reports from each of the homeless regions setting out total expenditure on homeless services including on emergency accommodation are published on my Department's website at the following link;
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
