Government has spent €2.4bn on homelessness – just 6% on prevention

The government spend continues to rise with the number of people in emergency accommodation.

17,885 people were recorded as having accessed emergency accommodation in August, of which 5,830 were children. This is not the full picture of homelessness in Ireland, and does not include rough sleepers, people in domestic violence refuges and those in Direct Provision with leave to remain.

New figures show that between 2020 and 2025, nearly €1.89bn has been spent by the Department of Housing on homelessness supports. €513m has been allocated for homelessness in 2026.

Last year, the highest spend on homelessness was in the Dublin region, with almost €319m provided by the Department of Housing. 

The new figures, released to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne, shows that in 2025, just 6% of the funding went towards homelessness prevention.

“The fact that just 6% of expenditure on homelessness is on prevention sums up this Government’s policy failures,” Mr Hearne said.

“Rather than investing in tackling the causes of homelessness — preventing evictions, increasing use of tenant in situ purchase, and increased building of social housing, the Government is handing over €5oom a year mainly to for-profit emergency accommodation providers.”

Mr Hearne said the Government is “pouring money” into short-term responses to the homelessness crisis, rather than addressing the root causes.

“The scale of homelessness is truly scandalous and is one of the most shameful failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments,” Mr Hearne said.

Housing is the most basic of needs and a fundamental human right, yet Fianna Fail and Fine Gael turned it into an investment asset for wealthy funds and corporate landlords. We must make housing a human right. https://t.co/FsZ21LLXfg

— Rory Hearne (@RoryHearneGaffs) December 30, 2025

"They should implement an immediate ban on evictions into homelessness and take the Finnish investing in prevention approach to tackle this emergency.”

Up-to-date figures for people in emergency accommodation are expected to be published tomorrow, when the department confirms the data for September.

Housing Minister James Browne said recently he intends to bring plans to cabinet to end funding applications for what is known as ‘turnkey’ social housing purchases from December 2027.

Turnkey acquisitions means buying newly built from developers.