National Homeless Action Committee Minutes of Q2-25 Meeting

National Homeless Action Committee Minutes of Q2-25 Meeting - 11am Wednesday 21 May 2025 Conference Room, Custom House

The Minister welcomed all attendees and noted apologies and stand-ins.

Zoe O’Reilly (ZO’R) requested an amendment to the Q1-25 minutes, on behalf of her colleague Maria Joyce (MJ). It was agreed that the Department would follow up with MJ directly and amend as appropriate.

The Minister provided an update on;

• latest figures including numbers accessing EA, exits and preventions;
• the new Housing Strategy. The Minister thanked NHAC members for the submissions received, adding that homelessness will receive significant consideration in the Plan;
• the continued focus on accelerating housing supply, the importance of the Tenant-in-Situ scheme as a prevention measure over the previous two years and the continued importance of TIS where other solutions cannot be found;
• the recent stakeholder meeting on IPAS Exits; and
• the positive impact of the 2,357 vacant social homes brought back into active use under the 2024 Voids Programme.

• The Minister informed the Committee that the DRHE published the Dublin Spring 2025 Rough Sleeper Count last week and acknowledged the work done by all involved in the 2025 Count, in particular the DRHE, the other Dublin local authorities and the Dublin Simon Community Outreach Team.
• The Minister invited Mary Hayes (MH) and Catherine Kenny (CK) to present on the Spring 2025 Count.
• CK and MH presented on the Spring 2025 Rough Sleeper Count, noting the Outreach team encountered a total of 121 unique individuals who were sleeping rough of which 82% were previously known to homeless services.
• It was noted that this was a reduction from last count of 7 individuals.
• CK and MH added that they would share the presentation with the wider Committee.
• Noting the importance of the Housing First Programme in supporting those rough sleeping, the Minister invited Rob Lowth (RL) to speak on the Housing First Programme.
• RL advised that there is a focus to ensure that Housing First can adequately support groups such as women and Travellers that are rough sleeping. RL further added that the 2025 count highlighted the need to target repeat instances of rough sleeping and highlighted the importance and benefits of collaboration between organisations such as the HSE in the Housing First Model.
• David Kelly (DK) added that the lack of availability of one-bed units and the challenges in securing these units does need to be addressed and that there is an increased focus on specific delivery streams for one beds, which will support the delivery of Housing First as well as exiting singles from EA.
• The Minister invited members to provide their comments.
• Sinead Carr (SC) noted that rough sleeping is evident across the country with significant numbers of those rough sleeping or accessing EA having substance abuse issues, adding that this highlights the need for increased prevention measures, which is an area that the CCMA wishes to pursue. SC concluded by highlighting that health services are critical when supporting those in homelessness.
• Joseph Doyle (JD) noted difficulties with regard to securing funding from DPER and emphasised the importance of quantifying successes to encourage investment.
• David Carroll (DC) informed the Committee that the recent Mental Health Report published by DePaul Ireland and Mental Health Reform highlighted that 1 in 2 people in DePaul’s residential services are suffering from mental health difficulties highlighting the importance of mental health services both on the street and in services.
• DC also welcomed the recent stakeholder meeting on IPAS exits, and stressed the importance of homeless prevention measures, and the need for consistency across LAs in how exits from IPAS are being handled.
• The Minister stated that he will continue to engage with Minister O’Callaghan on a regular basis concerning IPAS issues and emphasised the importance of health interventions, noting the launch of a pilot initiative between HSE and An Garda Síochána and Mental Health Services HSE Mid-West team in Limerick. The Minister questioned whether learnings from this pilot programme would be useful with regards to homeless prevention and invited Mary O’Regan (MO’R) to speak further on the pilot. MO’R advised that the pilot entitled Community Access Support Team (CAST) launched at the end of 2024 and it centred on intervention, prevention and outreach to better support persons experiencing mental health crises and situational trauma. MO’R added that that there will be a report at the end of a pilot phase and that she will keep the Committee informed on developments. Jennifer Peyton (JP) noted that the LA has engaged with the Homelessness Unit around this pilot, and that the Department have indicated that they are agreeable to reviewing a proposal with regard to providing Section 10 funding towards a dedicated homeless resource on the CAST.
• ZO’R queried if ethnic identifiers were used for the Spring Rough Sleeper count. MH stated there was, but it was based on self-identification. MH added that she would share this data.
• There was a conversation around the prevalence of rough sleeping couples, with MH noting that an approach in addition to Housing First is often needed in these instances. Rosemarie Tobin (RT) queried if supports are currently available for such couples. MH stated that supports that are long-term in nature are needed for these couples. DC added that a significant issue in this space is how to best approach instances of domestic violence adding that DePaul is currently working with Women’s Aid with regards to the best approach to managing instances of domestic violence within services.

• The Minister noted that the Programme for Government commits to ensuring a holistic cross Departmental approach to homelessness prevention and outlined the intention to develop a national Homelessness Prevention Framework that addresses homelessness in planned and structured way.
• The Minister invited RT to speak on the planned Prevention Framework which the Department will be taking the lead on.
• RT presented on the planned Prevention Framework and proposed that the Framework be developed under the auspices of NHAC. RT invited members to provide feedback on the proposed framework.
• Ann-Marie O’Reilly (AO’R) welcomed the proposed Prevention Framework and highlighted the need to enhance the data around reason for presentation as this will be crucial to identify appropriate intervention and prevention approaches. AO’R also noted that the Framework would need to be cognisant of the variation between the needs of singles and couples and to understand clearly how ‘at risk of homelessness’ will be defined. RT clarified that ‘at risk of homelessness’ would encompass a wide range of individuals.
• Louise Bayliss (LB) also welcomed the Prevention Framework. LB stressed the importance of recognising poverty as a contributor to homelessness and queried the number of individuals in homelessness as a result of poverty and arrears. LB acknowledged the growing number of families in homelessness and emphasised the need to develop prevention strategies for this specific cohort.
• CK welcomed the planned Prevention Framework and noted that one area that needs to be considered further is how best to engage with the population at risk of homelessness.
• Ber Grogan (BG) noted that Galway Simon has a prevention programme that has seen great success but cautioned that that the affordability of rents is driving people into homelessness, and this can also contribute to further issues such as Domestic Violence. BG added that issues with CAS acquisitions and the TIS scheme have had an impact on move on options. BG highlighted the need to ensure that families exit homeless emergency accommodation within 6 months and that this could be also seen as a prevention measure. BG also noted the importance of adequate funding to NGOs to ensure prevention measures can be actioned.
• SC noted that the CCMA and DRHE are working on a further breakdown of what constitutes relationship breakdown/family circumstance. Currently the data would suggest that a significant number of the above presentations relate to young single men with substance abuse issues which further highlights the need for a whole of society approach to preventing homelessness.
• Pat Dennigan (PD) stated that prioritising prevention is essential but that there are 9 other building blocks that need to be considered and to address the entire OECD Toolkit to Combat Homelessness. PD added that Focus Ireland had previously published research around why someone is homeless, which sought to identify the root cause for homelessness and that this information is essential when developing prevention programmes.
• DC welcomed the emphasis the Department is placing on prevention and highlighted the importance of community mental health services for early intervention and prevention, noting that the National Drug Strategy has a key role to play in the reduction of homelessness. DC stressed the importance of adequate resourcing for such plans.
• Gordon Hill (GH) highlighted the importance of tracking and supporting people after they have exited homelessness as well as identifying gaps in available services.
• DK noted the importance of social housing as a prevention measure as well as programmes such as cost rental. DK suggested a number of thematic workshops could support the development of the Prevention Framework. DK noted that the following themes appeared to arise from the discussion today;
  • Affordability;
  • Health;
  • Rental Market; and
  • the Immigration System
• JD noted the correlation between homelessness and health and added that he is conscious that there are a number of strategies already in place and the importance of appropriately linking them.
• Graham Doyle (GD) added that there are a number of different programmes which added 11,000 properties to social housing stock last year. He noted the increase insocial stock and the importance of increasing the supply to the rental market which has a trickle-down effect and that there is some genuine progress being made.
• PD added that there needs to be further consideration given to prioritising those in homelessness for social housing schemes.
• The Minister noted that it is important to disrupt the pathways into homelessness.
• RT stated that she will put a call out to the Committee regarding the thematic workshops and noted that the assistance of NHAC members will be required moving forward with respect to the Prevention Framework.

• Grainne Carew provided an update on the Youth Homelessness Strategy noting:
  • the three-year Strategy is due to end December 2025;
  • the key action Supported Housing for Youth (SHY) commenced in the Dublin Region last year with the first participant moving into properties in October 2024;
  • the work of the Prevention and Early Intervention Subgroup is in its final stages and the report setting out the subgroup’s recommendations is being finalised;
  • feedback from NHAC members on the Protocol for Young People Leaving State Care has been received and the updated Protocol is due to issue before the end on Q2-2025; and
  • the Housing Agency is developing an information campaign targeting young people which will go live in Q3 2025.
• GH welcomed the work of the Department on the Youth Homelessness Strategy, but believed that there was a need for a follow-on Strategy to be developed. The Minister agreed that there was a need for the focus on youth homelessness to continue.
• ZO’R questioned whether a previous query regarding the representation of Travellers in the TAPs had been resolved. GC advised that a follow-up had been sent and that a response is awaited.

• The Minister invited members to raise any other business.
• BG enquired as to the status of the CCMA review and if there is a timeline for progression to next steps. RT stated that the Homelessness Unit has reviewed the recommendations and that an implementation plan will be developed. JP stated that an update would be provided to the Committee when available.
• BG also raised an issue around the ability of NGOs to draw down funds from the LAs. JP said she had not been made aware of any issues but would follow up directly with BG.
• BG also advised she had attended a recent FEANTSA Forum, and was concerned around reports of Housing First being defunded in Finland and that Ireland has an opportunity to become the ‘new’ Finland with regards to Housing First.
• DC raised the issue of the WRC case and noted the efficiency of the Department in this regard. DC enquired about WRC uplift timelines. JP responded that an implementation group is being set up under the auspices of the WRC to progress the implementation of the agreement.
• PD noted the importance of the OECD Toolkit for Combatting Homelessness and emphasised the need to look at how subgroups will interact with NHAC going forward.

You can download a copy of the National Homeless Action Committee - Minutes of Q1-25 Meeting below:

National Homeless Action Committee Minutes Q2-25 21 May 2025