Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 May 2023
141. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full-year cost of providing emergency accommodation for homeless people in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23517/23]
View answer142. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full-year cost of providing emergency accommodation for homeless people in Dublin in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23518/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 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, including on emergency accommodation 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. The funding provided in 2022 and to date in 2023 is set out below.
|
Region |
Exchequer funding provided in 2022 |
Exchequer funding provided to date in 2023 |
|
Dublin |
180,260,459 |
56,393,262 |
|
Mid East |
11,300,500 |
2,077,288 |
|
Midlands |
3,761,655 |
434,706 |
|
Mid West |
10,067,212 |
3,910,750 |
|
North East |
2,724,653 |
864,500 |
|
North West |
1,440,000 |
477,400 |
|
South East |
5,681,957 |
1,739,305 |
|
South West |
16,806,750 |
3,219,722 |
|
West |
10,406,815 |
2,274,150 |
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.
I have continued to assure housing authorities that funding for all required homeless services, including the provision of emergency accommodation, will be provided this year.
