The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD has today announced €665,000 in recurring funding for four projects aimed at improving health outcomes in women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The Minister made the announcement during a visit to one of the projects run by Ana Liffey Drug Project Mid West Region in Limerick.

All four projects were originally funded as pilots under the Women’s Health Action Plan, and were developed in response to local need. Each have demonstrated a positive impact in improving health outcomes for the women involved and will now be supported with recurring funding under Budget 2026.

This announcement supports the HSE National Strategic Plan to Improve the Health of People Experiencing Homelessness in Ireland, which seeks to put in place sustainable and integrated good quality healthcare initiatives that meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

The four projects and allocations are:

HSE Midwest: Ana Liffey Midwest - €126,562. Improving health outcomes for women in insecure or unsuitable housing across the region who require access to women’s health services.

HSE South West – Good Shepherd Cork: €218,366. Supporting a multi-disciplinary team to improve access to health services for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

HSE Dublin and North East – Ana Liffey Drug Project. €200,000 to provide a Gender-based violence trainer and case manager to services alongside the PACT assertive inreach teams.

HSE Dublin and North East - €120,000 to improve healthcare services to support Traveller women who experience or are at risk of experiencing homelessness.

The Minister said: “I am pleased to confirm that projects originally funded under the Women’s Health Action Plan, that support local services, are now being funded on a recurring and sustainable basis. This illustrates the Government’s commitment to the goals of Sláintecare, including an emphasis on delivering care in the community and enabling access to good quality health services, and the Government’s commitment to ending homelessness, as highlighted in Delivering homes, building communities, the government’s housing plan to 2030. “On my visit to the Ana Liffey Drug Project in Limerick today I heard how this funding can have a life-altering impact on women who are supported to access the healthcare services they require. Assertive outreach services are helping us to reach those who are all too often marginalized and ignored, giving them a chance to receive support and care to improve their health.”

[See also, an account of the visit from the Ana Liffey website]