Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

518. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason that rough sleepers, who are homeless people by definition, are not included in the "Monthly Homeless Report" produced by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37319/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 currently gathers and publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by local authorities. These reports are based on data provided by local authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). 

The monthly homelessness report includes details of individuals, families and the dependants of these families who accessed emergency accommodation during the relevant count week of the month in question. The most recently published data is in respect of May 2025. The reports are collated on a regional basis and are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/homelessness-data/ and are also published to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitalisation open data portal: data.gov.ie/

In the Dublin region, an official rough sleeper count is conducted twice yearly, in April and November, by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE). The latest official Dublin Region rough sleeper count was carried out over the week of March 31st to 6th April 2025. A total of 121 unique individuals were confirmed as rough sleeping across the Dublin region over the week of the count. This is a decrease of 9.7% on the November 2024 count (134) and a decrease of 5.5% on the April 2024 count (128). 

The purpose of the count is to gather information on the patterns of rough sleeping, identify chronic rough sleepers for the Housing First programme and identify the health services and/or accommodation needed to meet each individual’s need.

The Housing First approach to addressing homelessness places direct access to housing first and foremost for vulnerable individuals using homeless services consistently or intermittently over long periods of time, and those unable or resistant to accessing homeless services and who may then become habitual rough sleepers. These individuals often 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, Securing Ireland's Future, includes a commitment to create 2,000 Housing First tenancies to help eliminate long term homelessness. My Department is working closely with the Department of Health, the HSE and local authorities to continue to deliver the appropriate measures to support all individuals experiencing homelessness including those with complex needs and those rough sleeping.

My Department will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that sufficient supports and outreach is provided to rough sleepers to encourage them to avail of the emergency accommodation that is available, and funding for all required homeless services will be provided this year.