The cost to Galway City Council of administering homeless services will increase by 15% next year.

It comes as more than 200 children in the West of Ireland face spending this Christmas living in emergency accommodation.

The local authority has allocated €28.2 million of its total budget in 2026 for the administration of homeless services, including paying for emergency accommodation in hotels and B&Bs.

This is believed to be a record homelessness allocation by Galway City Council, although the majority will be recouped from central Government.

In his Budget briefing, Chief Executive of Galway City Council Leonard Cleary pledged, “we will enhance our supports for homelessness” in 2026.

Among the key priorities identified for next year was building a temporary emergency homeless facility at the Teach Corrib Day Centre on Seamus Quirke Road in Westside.

This will include “10 interchangeable units”, a day centre and medical services, and is expected to be delivered by winter 2026.

Another priority was to “reduce reliance on emergency accommodation”, which was costing millions of euros annually.

The estimated expenditure allocated to homelessness in 2026 — up by more than €3.75m compared with what was spent last year — represents the biggest spending category under the broad theme of housing.

The breakdown of the €28.2m includes homeless grants for other bodies including homeless charities (€19.2m), the Council’s own homeless service (€8m) and almost €900,000 on homeless support costs.

According to the latest Department of Housing, homelessness increased by 4% in the West of Ireland in October.

The data showed there were 225 homeless people accessing Emergency Accommodation in Galway City and County in October.

It also showed that 212 homeless children in the West (Galway, Mayo, Roscommon) were living in emergency accommodation.

Nationally the total number of homeless people in emergency accommodation was 16,766.

City Councillors who approved Budget 2026 last week allocated €19m for maintenance and improvement of local authority houses.

A further €17m was allocated to support capital investment in building or buying houses.

The Housing Assistance Payment — or HAP — will cost the Council almost €600,000 in 2026.

The draft Budget noted that the Council and Tuath Housing Association delivered 102 homes at Clai Mór on Old Monivea Road this year. Tuath and the Council also acquired a home in Garraí na Sáile.

In this Letteragh Road estate, the Council launched an Affordable Housing scheme, and it secured national funding with Clúid Housing Association to buy 32 new homes in Murrough.

The Council said it secured permanent homes for 63 households this year, which reduced its reliance on emergency accommodation.

The Council said key housing priorities in 2026 included delivering six homes on Monivea Road; plus 33 on Clybaun Road; 27 at St Brendan’s Avenue; 63 at An Tobar, Letteragh Road; 10 at Rosshill; and 35 at Crown Square.

Other housing projects to be advanced in the coming year include 84 homes on Ballybane Road, due to be finished in 2027; around 100 homes at Merlin Woods and 61 on Clybaun Road, both due to be completed in 2027.

Pictured: The Teach Corrib Day Centre on Seamus Quirke Road: the facility operated by COPE Galway will be replaced by a temporary emergency homeless facility by next winter.