Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin are among a number of city and county councils nationwide who have paid a combined total of more than €276 million for these services over a 4 year period.
The Irish Independent reports some B&Bs are making up to €740,000 a year, while one Dublin hotel got up to €5 million last year for providing emergency accommodation.
The amount paid to private providers in Dublin has risen from just under 49 million in 2016, to 80 million last year.
In Kildare, there has been an increase from €976,559 to €2.4 million.