Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

320. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to the €50 million allocated nationally to support persons leaving emergency accommodation, of which Cork City Council only received €2m, if additional funding will be allocated to Cork considering it received less than other cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53568/25]

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

I recently secured an additional €50 million on foot of the recently concluded National Development Plan discussions to expand the social housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme for 2025, bringing the budget available to €375 million for the year. This funding is ring-fenced and separate from any allocation provided generally under the Second-Hand Acquisitions Programme and local authorities can carry forward any uncommitted or unspent allocation into 2026.

This funding will support acquisitions that exit households, particularly larger families with children, from long-term emergency homeless accommodation to housing. To this end, the funding was allocated to the eight city and city and county councils, which generally have the highest number of households in long-term emergency accommodation. The respective allocations primarily reflect the relative extent of long-term homelessness in these authorities. The purchase cost of houses across the relevant local authorities was also considered.

Funding for the 2026 Second-Hand Acquisitions Programme will be agreed shortly following completion of 2026 Estimates process. Respective allocations will have regard, not only to relative demand across local authorities, but to progress committing and drawing down the additional allocations provided to support exits from homelessness, with such funding reallocated to other authorities where necessary to better support households to exit long-term homelessness into housing.