Number of delayed discharges due to homelessness highlights scale of the housing crisis
Number of delayed discharges due to homelessness highlights scale of the housing crisis - The Labour Party
- Lack of an effective national discharge plan for people in homelessness
The number of delayed discharges from hospital due to persons not having a fixed abode remains stubbornly high and highlights the need for an effective national discharge plan according to Labour Housing Spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD.
Deputy Sheehan was speaking after a Parliamentary Question response released to him showed that 148 people in 2024, 149 people in 2025 and 24 to date in 2026 could not be discharged from hospital because they did not have a fixed address.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“The figures are stark, stubbornly high and growing. They highlight the lack of a well-coordinated national discharge plan which would significantly reduce both hospital admissions and healthcare costs and highlight the impact of the Governments housing crisis on the most vulnerable in society.
“The true number of people being discharged into homelessness are much higher because many give the address of a hostel, their previous address or that of a relative, while many will also self-discharge.
“People experiencing homelessness have huge barriers to access primary healthcare, whether it be a lack of transport, extremely limited financial means and long waiting lists or appointments.
“As a result, they are disproportionately more likely to present at acute hospitals. They often have difficulty or are not registered with a GP due to the paperwork involved. They often only seek emergency care when their symptoms become severe.
“There is a need for much more effective discharge planning to address medical conditions but also for the period following hospital stay, to ensure they have follow-up care.
“However, hospital discharge can be a traumatic experience for people experiencing homelessness.
“There is a lack of data and research on hospital discharge planning and homelessness.
“The high level of homelessness in this country means that we need to develop new national hospital discharge protocols tailored to people in homelessness.
“The independent evaluation of the Dublin Hospital Homeless Discharge Protocol and Inclusion Health Services has highlighted the success of the programme on the quality of care for patients experiencing homelessness but we need to ensure that is replicated nationwide.
“We must develop a comprehensive integrated care and case management service for homeless individuals is rolled out nationwide in addition to increasing housing first targets.”
ENDS
PQ response: https://labour.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PQ-17929-26-DTOC-request-final.numbers