Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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104. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in view of the recent report from Depaul Ireland and Mental Health Reform, which highlights that half of homeless individuals accessing Depaul’s services experience mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, the way in which the Minister plans to address the intersection of homelessness and mental health. [12892/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All recognises the need for a Cross-Government approach to addressing homelessness. It includes specific actions to address the additional support needs of households experiencing homelessness.

The HSE provides health services to homeless persons in emergency accommodation settings, including care and case management and intensive addiction and mental health supports. The HSE also provides outreach health and harm reduction services to homeless people and rough sleepers, including via the Mobile Health Unit.

For rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation, Housing First provides housing with intensive supports. Individuals supported by Housing First generally have complex high support needs such as mental or physical health problems, addiction issues or dual diagnosis (the presence of mental ill health and a substance addiction. The Housing First National Implementation Plan was published in 2021 and includes a target to establish 1,319 Housing First tenancies by 2026. The implementation of the Plan is a joint initiative of my Department, the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE), the criminal justice sector (the Probation Service and the Irish Prison Service) and local authorities, in conjunction with NGO partners. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to create 2,000 Housing First tenancies.

At local authority level, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region which includes representation from the relevant State and non-governmental organisations involved in the delivery of homeless services in a particular region. A statutory Management Group exists for each regional forum, which is comprised of comprised of representatives from the relevant housing authorities and the Health Service Executive. It is the responsibility of the Management Group to consider issues around the need for homeless services and to plan for the implementation, funding and co-ordination of such services.