7th October 2025
In relation to today’s Budget 2026 announcement, Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland said:
While it’s refreshing to hear that housing has been at the forefront of Government’s minds, Budget 2026 certainly seems to be focused on landlords and developers, with many measures being announced to encourage housing construction.
While the Simon Communities of Ireland welcomes progress, we want to see clear and measurable commitments to delivering affordable homes, alongside stronger protections for those at risk of homelessness. We also welcome social protection increases.
It is deeply disappointing that, yet again, that there was no mention of homeless prevention and homelessness remains invisible within the Budget, and also, in the ever-present conversation around housing.
We urgently need a clear commitment to increasing homeless prevention funding to prevent people from entering homelessness in the first place.
It is disappointing to hear the Government speak about running multiple surpluses whilst the number of people being forced into homelessness grows month on month. Over 5,000 children are living in homelessness and are being robbed of their childhoods. This is not just an economic issue – but a moral one.
The measures announced today will do nothing to reduce the numbers of people being forced to experience the trauma of homelessness unless developers and landlords are obligated to provide social homes and those affordable under HAP.
