Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2022
126. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount spent each year on emergency accommodation for counties Westmeath and Longford, respectively, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [23734/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy 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 services including 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. Counties Westmeath and Longford are included in the Midlands region for the purposes of homeless administration, along with Laois and Offaly. The table below sets out the Exchequer funding provided to the Midlands region for the years 2020 to 2022(to date).
|
Exchequer funding provided to the Midlands Region |
|
|
2020 |
€2.5 m |
|
2021 |
€2.4 m |
|
2022 (to date) |
€0.706 m |
Financial reports from each of the homeless regions including the Midlands region, setting out expenditure on homeless accommodation and related services are published on my Department's website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
