Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
336. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if providers of emergency accommodation are paid whether beds are empty or not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4106/21]
View answer337. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the service providers of emergency homeless accommodation; the capacity of each unit; the average percentage of occupancy in each month in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4107/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 337 together.
My 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, as well as the type and operation of homeless accommodation services are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum established in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009.
Financial reports from each of the regional fora, setting out total expenditure on homeless services including those services provided through the non-government sector and private emergency accommodation are published on my Department’s website at the following link; www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data . Financial reports for 2020 are currently being examined and will be published on shortly.
The detailed information sought by the Deputy is therefore not available in my Department, and is a matter for the individual housing authorities.
