Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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652. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will make a statement on nutrition and access to play areas and recreational facilities for children in emergency accommodation; and the measures taken by his Department to monitor children’s wellbeing while in emergency accommodation. [17638/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Addressing homelessness is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government includes a number of commitments to address homelessness, including ensuring that there is sufficient emergency accommodation for those who require it with special supports for children impacted by homelessness.

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 homeless services 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.

Funding of €303 million is available for the delivery of homeless services in 2025. This funding supports the provision of emergency accommodation including the operation of 36 family hubs across the country. While hubs are emergency accommodation, they provide a greater level of stability than is possible in emergency hotel accommodation, with the capacity to provide appropriate play-space, cooking and laundry facilities, and communal recreation space, while move-on options to homes are identified and secured. More intensive assistance in terms of welfare, health and housing services is also supplied through family hubs.

In September 2022, my Department published and issued to all local authorities Guidelines for the Development of New Emergency Accommodation which set out the expectation and standards required in the development of emergency accommodation, The Guidelines set out, where possible, that there is a provision of open space, shared but private to the residents, including a children’s play area. Where it may not be possible to provide such space on site, proximity to public parks and playgrounds should form part of the initial assessment of whether a facility may be appropriate to accommodate families.

The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services is in place nationally for local authority and NGO delivered services. The Framework was developed to ensure a consistent approach in how local authorities and service providers respond to the needs of those experiencing homelessness and to improve the quality of services provided.

A key focus of local authorities and their service delivery partners is to support households experiencing emergency accommodation to exit emergency accommodation to a tenancy.

Critical to addressing homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. The overall capital funding available for housing in 2025 is now over €6.5 billion, to support the delivery of social, affordable and cost rental homes. Housing supply has increased significantly under Housing for All. In particular, 22,192 social homes were delivered through Build, Acquisition and Leasing schemes in 2022 and 2023. The delivery figures for 2024 are currently being collated.