Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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585. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if she has plans to put together a successor to the Youth Homelessness Strategy that expires in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39306/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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In line with commitments made in both the Programme for Government and Housing for All, a national Youth Homelessness Strategy was published in November 2022. The Strategy aims to help young people aged 18 – 24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, with 27 actions to prevent youth homelessness; improve the experiences of young people accessing emergency accommodation; and assist young people in exiting homelessness.

The new Programme for Government ‘Securing Ireland’s Future’ commits to fully implementing the Youth Homelessness Strategy. Seven of the Strategy’s 27 actions are now complete and the other 20 actions are at varying stages of progress. It is a priority of Government and my Department to ensure that all actions are completed before end of 2025. All actions were developed to ensure that long-term measures could be put in place to address youth homelessness beyond the lifetime of the Strategy.

A Steering Group comprising key stakeholders representing ten different organisations is in place to drive the delivery and monitor progress of all actions within the Strategy. The next Steering Group meeting, which will take place in early September, will focus on the future of the Strategy, including how to build on progress made to date. The Steering Group will be asked to make a recommendation to me about how best to continue to drive towards the eradication of youth homelessness beyond the lifetime of the current Strategy.