Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 December 2023
233. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which the number of families deemed homeless in County Kildare are likely to achieve accommodation in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54438/23]
View answerMy 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 accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities.
Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes an average of 10,000 new build social homes each year in the period to 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026.
Budget 2023 allocated funding of over €215 million for the delivery of homelessness services. On 29 November an additional €102m was approved by Cabinet by way of a Supplementary Estimate for the provision of homeless services in 2023. Local authorities and their service delivery partners work with all households in emergency accommodation to support them to exit from homelessness to a tenancy. This could include a tenancy in a local authority or AHB property or a HAP-supported tenancy in the private rented sector. The provision of these supports is a matter for the relevant local authority and my Department does not hold the specific details requested.
