Cork Council spent almost €26m on homeless services in 2025

Almost €26m in State funding was allocated to Cork City Council last year for the provision of homeless services across the south west.

The council was allocated €25,906,484 in 2025 to cover operational costs of homeless accommodation, and related services, excluding year-end costs, across Cork and Kerry.

The bill for emergency accommodation within the region equated to about €70,000 per day last year, with the latest homelessness figures showing that 799 adults accessed emergency accommodation across Cork and Kerry at the end of November.

HOUSING

This funding figure was released by the minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, who said that statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.

Mr Browne said under exchequer funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources, and may also incur additional expenditure on homeless-related services outside of these arrangements.

“While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place and a lead authority in each region,” Mr Browne said.

Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould said the figures, which were revealed to him following a parliamentary question, show the government has “allowed this bill to spiral out of control”.

“This cost is extortionate and shows once again that the Government’s failure to deal with the housing emergency has huge impacts on people’s lives and on public funding,” said Mr Gould.

He said €70,000 every single day is being spent on keeping children and adults in hotels and B&Bs.

“Every single day, two council homes could be returned to use for the cost of this bill.

“That means that in three months, all homeless families in Cork and Kerry would have somewhere to live,” he added.

“The State has allowed this bill to spiral out of control and instead of housing these people, the funding is used to keep them in emergency accommodation.

“I am now calling for a lift on the cap on vacant home return, and for a value for money assessment on existing emergency accommodation contracts in Cork and Kerry.

“These families don’t want accommodation, they want a home.”