Figures obtained under freedom of information by The Sunday Times reveal that Dublin's Gresham Hotel was paid €2.68 million to provide accommodation for homeless people over a period of two and a half years.
The Gresham stopped housing homeless people last January after its new owners, Riu Hotels and Resorts, stated that the venue's capacity would be reduced by planned refurbishment works at the hotel.
The disclosure of the amount paid to The Gresham represents the first time that the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) has made details public of a payment made to a hotel for housing homeless people. The data indicates that The Gresham received an average of €100,000 per month for rooms from 2015.
Last year, the total amount paid to hotels by DRHE was 20% higher than in 2016 at €46.93 million.
