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

1410. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 8 July 2025, the reason rough sleepers are not counted in the monthly homeless statistics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40967/25]

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

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 June 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.

My Department will continue to work with all 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.