Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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138. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average waiting time for social housing allocation in each local authority in 2024 and 2025; and the average length of stay in emergency homelessness accommodation. [36445/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Decisions on the qualification of households for social housing support, the most appropriate form of such support, and the allocation of that support are a matter for the local authority concerned.

My Department does not hold data in relation to the average waiting time for a social housing allocation. However, details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments. The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/

Figure 2.8 and Table 2.8 provide details on the length of time households have been on the record of qualified households (the Waiting List).

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.

My Department publishes quarterly progress reports which are based on quarterly performance reports submitted by the nine regional lead authorities responsible for the administration of homeless services at local level. These quarterly performance reports include details of the numbers of individuals prevented from entering emergency accommodation, and those exiting emergency accommodation into tenancies and the duration of stay in emergency accommodation. The quarterly progress report summarises the data submitted to the Department. 

The duration of stay data is reported as six-monthly bands ranging from less than six months to more than 24 months and is also disaggregated by household type. These bands refer to consecutive stays in emergency accommodation and are based on a point-in-time count, informed by emergency accommodation usage on the last night in the quarter. The most recent published data is in respect of Q1 2025 and the report is available on my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/homelessness-data/