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 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. 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 including emergency accommodation to address homelessness in each region. The exact amounts spent by local authorities on homeless services, as well as the type and location of emergency accommodation, and the contractual arrangements with service providers are a matter for individual local authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.
Financial reports from each of the nine homeless regions setting out expenditure on homeless services including on emergency accommodation in the Dublin region are published on my Department's website at the following link;
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services is in place nationally for local authority and non-government organisation delivered services. Given the increase in contracting private accommodation exclusively for the use of homeless households and to ensure standards in these facilities, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) have adapted the NQSF standards to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation. In consultation with the management group of the joint homeless consultative forum, the DRHE are responsible for the administration and operation of services, including the monitoring of standards in emergency accommodation.
The information sought is not routinely gathered by my Department; such information is a matter for the DRHE.
