Galway's big hotel and B&Bs bill for homeless accommodation
It was part of a €20.27 million spend on homelessness prevention and housing services throughout Galway, Mayo and Roscommon during 2025
Hotels and B&Bs in Galway were paid more than €5.6 million in government funding for the accommodation of homeless people last year, new figures have revealed.
Galway City Council spent just over €500,000 of this money on ad hoc hotel bookings outside of contractual arrangements during 2025, which was more than double the original estimate of €224,986.
It also spent nearly €3.7 million on B&Bs outside of contractual arrangements. The total spend on hotels and B&Bs contracted by the city council to provide emergency accommodation amounted to €360,960.
Galway County Council’s spending on B&Bs for the accommodation of homeless people was confined to contracted service providers, and amounted to just over €1 million in 2025.
The money was allocated to the two local authorities by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, which helps councils manage and deliver homeless services.
Galway City Council spent more than €10.1 million of this funding on homeless prevention and emergency accommodation last year, according to figures published by the department last week.
This included €2.4 million on supported emergency accommodation for single people, with €604,694 provided to COPE Galway’s Fairgreen Hostel, and €344,349 for its women’s homeless shelter at Osterley Lodge.
The council also allocated €771,860 to COPE Galway’s Corrib Haven Family Hub, and a total of €459,138 to Galway Simon Community for youth-specific services across the city.
Nearly €2.8 million of the departmental funding was used by Galway County Council for homeless prevention and emergency accommodation, some €103,931 of which was allocated to Cuan Mhuire for addiction treatment and rehabilitation services.
A spokeswoman for Galway City Council explained that it was the regional lead authority for the west region, making it responsible for the administration and disbursement of Section 10 funding for local authorities in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.
“In 2025, total expenditure under the Section 10 Homelessness Funding Programme exceeded €20.27 million, supporting a broad range of homelessness prevention and housing services across the region,” she added.
“The largest area of expenditure continued to be the provision of emergency accommodation, with almost €10.7 million spent across the region in 2025, including €4.55 million in Galway City alone.
“Additional funding supported the delivery of day services, homelessness prevention initiatives, and tenancy sustainment services provided by local authorities throughout the west region.”
The spokeswoman for Galway City Council said this investment plays a “vital role” in preventing homelessness, supporting individuals and families experiencing housing need, and assisting people in securing long-term accommodation.