Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is no statutory obligation on a local authority to provide social housing, affordable housing or homeless services. In fact, if we look at the legislation underpinning all of these things, it states that local authorities "may" provide these things, and generally they provide them in conjunction with the Department. There is nothing in law that compels a local authority to provide social or affordable housing.