Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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180. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of emergency accommodation units suitable for families in County Longford. [18095/21]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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181. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of emergency accommodation units suitable for families in County Westmeath. [18096/21]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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182. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of emergency accommodation beds available for homeless men in County Longford in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by local electoral area in tabular form. [18097/21]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of emergency accommodation beds available for homeless men in County Westmeath in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by local electoral area in tabular form. [18098/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 183, inclusive, together.

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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 sets out the purposes for which costs may be incurred by housing authorities in respect of the provision of homeless accommodation and related services.

While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. In the Midlands region, Westmeath County Council is the lead authority for the region along with Laois, Longford and Offaly County Councils. 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, in the first instance, to determine the services and the funding required to address homelessness in each region.

My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. Data relating to homeless adults are presented at a county level.The most recent report, for February 2021, records that there were 10 adults utilising emergency accommodation in county Longford and 26 in Westmeath. Data on families and dependants are represented on a regional level. The February report records that there were 17 families in emergency accommodation in the Midlands Region, which combines counties Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath.

These Reports are available to access on my Department's website at the following link: