Thomas Gould
Question:517. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual funding provided to the regional homeless consultative forum for the Munster region. [40155/23]
View answerWednesday, 20 September 2023
Questions (517)
Written answers
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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities.
My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to local authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Under Exchequer funding arrangements, local authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Furthermore, local authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Exchequer funding arrangements provided by my Department.
While responsibility for the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis with a lead authority in place for each region. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. It is a matter for the management group of the consultative forum to determine the type and range of homeless services to address homelessness in each region. The exact amounts spent by local authorities on homeless services, as well as the type and operation of emergency accommodation including number of emergency accommodation units are a matter for individual local 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 local authorities on a regional basis. The following table sets out the Exchequer funding provided to the homeless regions in Munster to date in 2023 with further funding payments to be made in the coming months based on recoupment of local authority expenditure to year end;
|
Exchequer funding provided to homeless regions to date in 2023 |
|
|
Mid West |
8,175,258 |
|
South East |
4,018,870 |
|
South West |
12,054,913 |
Financial reports from each of the homeless regions including the Mid West, South East and South West 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.
Question No. 518 answered with Question No. 429.