664. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of drug related deaths involving homeless women and men in 2022, 2023 and 2024; the number of those that died that had a known history of mental health issues; the average age of these men and women, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26942/25] 

Colm Burke, Minister of State at the Department of Health: At the request of the Department of Health, the Health Research Board (HRB) publishes an annual report on premature deaths which occur among people who are homeless from a public health perspective. The purpose of the report is to document and understand the nature of these deaths and to inform policy measures to prevent such deaths in the future. 

The data are collated from coronial files as part of the national drug-related deaths index. Homelessness is defined as people who sleep rough, live in emergency accommodation or have insecure accommodation. 

The HRB recently published its 2021 report, which identifies 128 deaths among persons who were homeless that were sudden and unexpected. The median age of death for women was 37 years and for men was 44 years. 

The findings highlight the health inequalities experienced by adults who are homeless over a long period of time, and which reflect social determinants such as poverty, unemployment, trauma and imprisonment. 

Further details on the report can be found here: www.hrb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Deaths_among_homeless_people_bulletin_2021.pdf. 

Half of the deaths were due to drug poisoning; the other half were from medical conditions. Most of the deceased (86%) had a history of substance use or dependency. Of those with substance use, 53.6% were known to have alcohol dependence. Mental health issues were known to have been present for 33.6% of those who died. 

Extensive new measures have been put in place to reduce premature deaths by improving healthcare services for people who are homeless. These include the establishment of a supervised injecting facility and a community healthcare facility in Dublin city centre, in conjunction with non-governmental organisations. Under the Housing First programme, there are 1,000 tenancies for homeless people with complex health and social needs, with a further 260 tenancies planned in 2025. 

As the data come from closed coronial files, annual data is only available up to 2021. This data is routinely updated when new information becomes available. 2022 data is expected to be published at the end of this year, or start of 2026. 

The circumstances of homeless deaths are tragic for families and friends. I am committed to improving access to healthcare services for people who are homeless and to supporting my colleague, the Minister for Housing, to eliminate long-term homelessness.