Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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617. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there are any new programmes planned, or being implemented, in Meath to address the current level of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3182/25]

James Browne (Wexford, 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 accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities.

Responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities and the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. The Mid East region includes counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, for the purposes of homeless administration, with Kildare County Council as lead authority.

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, and 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.

An allocation of €303 million, an increase of €61m on the 2024 provision, has been made under Budget 2025 to provide homeless prevention services, emergency accommodation and other services for households experiencing homelessness. This is a 25% increase on the 2024 budget allocation. This funding will support the provision of emergency accommodation and supports that households require to exit emergency accommodation to a tenancy.

Furthermore, in the Programme for Government 2025, the Government has reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to working to eradicate homelessness by 2030. The programme includes distinct actions targeted to reduce and prevent homelessness. These include measures to engage and support rough sleepers with the continued expansion of the Housing First programme, a cross departmental approach to homelessness prevention, the leasing of one-bedroom units to address the immediate needs of single households, a focus on social housing allocations to families who are in long-term homeless accommodation and to continue the social housing tenant in situ programme to prevent homelessness.

My Department continues to work closely with the National Homeless Action Committee to ensure that there is a continued focus by the various stakeholders on additional measures that we can take to eradicate homelessness and to support all those experiencing homelessness. My Department will ensure sufficient funding is made available for all required homeless services to support those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.