A budget which lacks ambition to prevent homelessness and significantly

reduce the numbers in temporary accommodation

 

Dublin, 7th October 2026 – Depaul welcomes some aspects of Budget 2027 however notes no radical departure in relation to homelessness despite the well documented now record number of people experiencing homelessness – 17,885 at last count.

David Carroll, CEO Depaul Ireland noted: “We are pleased to see some increase in overall funding – the 2027 provision of €543m is an increase compared with the €513.5m funding in Budget 2026, however it is still unclear how much of this increase will reach homelessness NGOs to cover pay, inflation and rising demand at a scale that matches the 17,885 person crisis we are facing.

It is encouraging to see the €3.2bn allocated to funding social housing delivery including 11,250 new social homes – it doesn’t feel like a sufficient amount. However, it appears that the government is relying solely on the long term view that eventually increased housing supply will alleviate the issue of the amount of people in temporary accommodation. However, time is the limiting factor here in the short and medium term – as we know short-term emergency accommodation cannot reduce homelessness sustainably without sufficient move-on accommodation. 

There also appears to be non-radical intervention in relation to the private rental sector either with no stated indicative budget in relation to any improvements in Housing Assistance Programme (HAP) payment. One area of improvement is the modest allocation to launch the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan which has been allocated €1.2 million. Something we strongly believe has the potential to prevent homelessness for many families. Particularly important and welcome given the continuing growth in family homelessness. 

In terms of the as yet to be published Homeless Prevention Framework we note with disappointment no specific funding outlined to finance this framework within the 2027 budget. We are also disappointed that the announced budget for mental health does not include those in homelessness as a targeted group.

Depaul does note with some optimism several wider Budget measures which could act as some preventative measures to help people avoid homelessness: including the €10 weekly increases in core welfare rates; the €5 weekly increase in Fuel Allowance; increased Rent Tax Credit; Rent-a-Room tax-free threshold rising from €14,000 to €16,000; and some significant reductions in childcare costs. These measures we believe could help with tenancy sustainment and therefore homelessness prevention in some case, particularly for people on low incomes.

In general, Depaul notes that this budget is one which does not show a clear understanding by the government of the importance of prioritising homelessness prevention or goes anywhere near enough to break the cycle of homelessness. Without a significant increase in housing delivery and a stronger focus on prevention, the number of people in emergency accommodation we believe will continue to rise.

 For further information please contact: Colette Campbell: Communications & Advocacy Depaul – colette.campbell@depaulcharity.net