Written answers
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the supports in place for victims of domestic violence to access emergency accommodation in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35820/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross-Departmental and multi-agency issue, with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence, including the provision and operational funding of domestic violence refuge services, rests with my colleague the Minister for Justice working in conjunction with Cuan, the statutory DSGVB agency under the remit of the Department of Justice.
My Department currently provides capital funding support for the construction of new Domestic Violence Refuges, via the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS).
Funding of €303 million is available for the delivery of homeless services in 2025. This funding supports the provision of emergency accommodation, wrap around supports and other services for households at risk of or experiencing homelessness. In addition, capital funding of €25m will support the delivery of high quality transitional and emergency accommodation for individuals experiencing 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 accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. Decisions on the assessment of households for homeless services, the most appropriate form of such support, and the allocation of that support are a matter for the local authority concerned.
While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place. The West region includes Galway City Council, Galway County Council, Mayo County Council and Roscommon County Council, for the purposes of homeless administration, with Galway City 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. Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services, including any additional capacity requirements, 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.
Local authorities and their service delivery partners work closely with all households in need of emergency accommodation to provide appropriate emergency accommodation, and the ultimate aim is to support them to secure an exit to a tenancy.
My Department will ensure sufficient funding is made available for all required homeless services, including the provision of emergency accommodation, to support those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
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