![\"Simon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/taoiseach-to-officially-open-gamechanger-facility-for-homeless-people.jpg\")
T\u00e1naiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris congratulated Dublin Simon on the opening. Photo: Brian Lawless\/PA.<\/p>\nA \u201cfirst-of-its-kind\u201d facility for homeless-specific healthcare and addiction treatment will officially open in Dublin City this week, but is yet to receive funding to operate at full capacity.<\/p>\n
Dublin Simon Community\u2019s centre at Usher\u2019s Island has a capacity of 100 beds, but currently has funding to operate 75.<\/p>\n
Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin will officially open the centre on Monday, which has been operating since October 2024.<\/p>\n
The opening comes 10 days after Government data showed 16,734 people \u2013 including 5,188 children \u2013 accessed emergency accommodation at the end of December.<\/p>\n
This was the highest year-end figure for the statistics, and the third-highest monthly figure after the preceding November and October.<\/p>\n
Homelessness today is more complex than ever<\/p>\n
Catherine Kenny, Dublin Simon<\/p>\n
Dublin Simon said Usher\u2019s Island responds to the \u201cgrowing complexity of homelessness\u201d where addiction, health, social issues and financial instability intersect.<\/p>\n
It said it will provide critical services such as detox, step-up and step-down intermediate care, and stabilisation treatment.<\/p>\n
The facility has been delivered through \u20ac38 million in capital funding from the Department of Housing under the Capital Assistance Scheme, with more than \u20ac10 million in annual funding provided by the Department of Health.<\/p>\n
The facility has been opening on a phased basis, up from 51 operational beds to 75 currently running \u2013 and the capacity to expand to 100.<\/p>\n
Martin said: \u201cThis unique, purpose-built facility enables dedicated homeless-specific treatment for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt stands as a strong example of cross-departmental collaboration and of commitments made under national housing plans and drug strategies being translated into action.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris congratulated Dublin Simon on the opening. Photo: Brian Lawless\/PA.<\/p>\n
Catherine Kenny, chief executive of Dublin Simon Community, said the facility will be a \u201cgamechanger\u201d for the homeless community and health workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHomelessness today is more complex than ever. For many people, it is shaped not just by the absence of housing, but by trauma, addiction and long-term health needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAddressing that reality requires more than emergency responses; it requires integrated, specialist solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris described the opening of the facility as a \u201cgenuine milestone\u201d and congratulated Dublin Simon on its opening.<\/p>\n
Dublin Simon said Usher\u2019s Island has evolved since it was opened as an emergency accommodation service in 1989.<\/p>\n
Once fully operational, the facility will support 1,200\u20131,400 adults each year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A \u201cfirst-of-its-kind\u201d facility for homeless-specific healthcare and addiction treatment will officially open in Dublin City this week, but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287279,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-287278","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}