Government approves €15 m emergency funding for housing charity

The Government is to provide €15 million funding to the Peter McVerry Trust after the housing charity found itself in significant financial difficulties.

The funding, which was secured by housing minister Darragh O’Brien on an exceptional basis, will be provided monthly between December and March.

The funding is conditional on the implementation of significant reform and the trust has undertaken to put in place improved budgetary and management processes.

The trust is due to provide a detailed plan for the future by February next year, according to a Government spokeswoman.

In October, its chief executive Francis Doherty resigned amid cashflow pressures.

Mr Doherty had been the chief executive of the charity since June 2023, taking over from Pat Doyle, who was at the organisation for almost 19 years.

The charity said earlier this year that it was experiencing cashflow pressures that were “more acute than would traditionally be the case”, even allowing for the summer period.

Inspectors had been appointed by the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority to the Peter McVerry Trust and the charity was engaging with them.

The Department of Housing, which normally does not fund any homeless service directly, provides funding to local authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services.