Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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 emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons 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 of the nine homeless regions in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services and funding required in each region are a matter for individual local authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum. It is a matter for the Management Group to bring forward proposals to my Department that meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area and the funding requirements will be considered in this context.

I have asked local authorities to provide continued emphasis on identifying and providing tenancy sustainment and prevention measures in formulating their regional homeless services programmes for 2024. It is also essential that pathways out of homelessness for those individuals and families in emergency accommodation are secured as quickly as possible.

Financial reports from each of the homeless regions, setting out total expenditure on homeless services including on prevention measures are published on my Department's website at the following link;

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.