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LAST UPDATE | 26 May 2023
THE NUMBER OF people homeless has reached a record high for the second month in a row, with 12,259 accessing emergency accommodation in April 2023.
The figure includes 3,594 children. 1,733 of homeless adults were in families, which is 94 more than the previous month.
There has been a 22% increase in homelessness in the last year.
5,452 (63%) of the homeless adults in April were male and 3,213 were female.
Dublin by far has the highest number of people seeking emergency accommodation, with 6,288.
The south west accounts for 559 of the homeless people.
No child should be growing up homeless.
Wayne Stanley, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said he is “not surprised” by the record-breaking figure, “but we have to be shocked that the situation has been allowed to get to this point”.
“The almost 6% increase in family and children in homeless emergency accomondation is particularly concerning,” he said.
“While we have to acknowledge important initiatives taken by Government and rolled out by local authorities, such as the tenant in situ scheme, we also have to recognise that this is a policy made crisis.”
David Carroll, the chief executive of Depaul, said today: “People are being forced to spend longer in temporary accommodation than they should because of the crisis that already exists. We are going to quickly see a population of people ageing prematurely and presenting with deteriorating health conditions. The impact on children in temporary accommodation is particularly concerning.
“What the figures don’t show is that those who are in emergency accommodation are struggling and just holding on,” Carroll said.
“The increase in the numbers clearly shows that the removal of the eviction ban has had a significant impact. We are incredibly concerned that the lack of housing options will increase homelessness even further.
“If in three or four months we don’t have it right, we will experience more street homelessness, drug use and families in crisis.”
Some 962 one-parent families are living in emergency this month, up 64 or 7%, since March.
Karen Kiernan, the CEO of One Family, a charity which advocates for single parents, said: “Families are under incredible mental stress, whether they have already been forced into homelessness or are facing the looming threat of eviction. Parents are at breaking point trying to maintain normal lives for their children.
“Childhoods are being blighted as children struggle to cope with parental stress and the reality of not having a safe, secure or appropriate home.
“The worrying thing is these figures probably don’t reflect the true impact of the eviction ban as these evictions normally take a few months after notices are served to take affect.”
Opposition parties have also hit out at the government’s response to the housing crisis, with Sinn Féin TD Eoin O Broin telling reporters that the figures were a “grim record”.
He said that the impact of the ending of the no-fault eviction ban was only now beginning to take effect and that there would be more significant increases in homelessness into the summer months.
“The problem is that we’re only beginning to see the start of the outworkings of the ban on no-fault evictions,” O Broin said.
“Many peoples eviction notice wouldn’t have fallen due until the middle of April and therefore my big worry, and this is confirmed by what we’re seeing on the ground in the constituency offices around the country, is as we move into May, June and July we’re going to see even more significant increases.
“A question has to be asked of Darragh O’Brien and the Government: what level is unacceptable? Are we seriously saying that we continue as we are and we have a figure of 13,000 men, women and children in emergency accommodation by August or September.”
He called for the Government to “get its head out of the sand” and reintroduce the ban on no-fault evictions.
Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan said that the Government is “shamefully failing our most vulnerable people”.
“In reality, Government ministers are currently debating how they could spend a projected €65bn budget surplus. This is a slap in the face to the over 12,000 people without a roof over their head.
“No child should be growing up homeless while their Government ponders what they should do with billions of euros.”
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said the figures represented “a humanitarian crisis”.
“The government cannot keep rejecting every proposal put forward by the opposition and claiming that they have better ideas – the figures speak for themselves – the housing crisis is spiralling out of control,” he said.
Additional reporting by Tadgh McNally
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If we had a maximum of 30 days credit in this country, with strict penalties for late payment, this country would be a far easier place to do business. There is virtually no way to get paid by someone who just refuses to pay. They can be dragged through the courts but that itself is costly. If I owe a small business less than 5k it’s cheaper for them to write it off than go to court. That is what’s crippling small businesses in this country.
If i was to get caught stealing a very small very cheap item from a very large multinational supermarket chain, the law will prosecute me but if i was to provide hundreds/thousands worth of products or services to any business who then decided not to pay me, the law doesnt give a toss!
Its hard enough tryin to run a business and keep up with the day to day tasks without the added hassle to find time to ‘chase’ payments.
The government need to address this somehow as small business contributes a lot more to society than many people realise!
It’s the tragic roundabout! You can’t get paid for your invoices and as such you can’t pay your suppliers! Round and round it goes and its usually the small guys who fall off it, unnoticed by anyone because its only a small number of jobs lost!
The real loser? the sucker who started the business and then tries to get something off the state while trying to get back on their feet!
I know how you feel. 7 years paying our way, working hard and then to be told to fook off when times get tough. Heart breaking for a family and so much stress. We would have been better off getting off the boat with our hands out looking for what we can get. This government and the previous sh1theads have the system all wrong :(
Gary & Patrick, there is NO incentive to start a small business in this country.
Knowing what I do now Ronan I wouldn’t advise anyone to do it in Ireland. There is no cover for the self employed. I have spoken to FF & FG representatives about this and too be honest they couldn’t have cared less.
Trying to get more than 30 days credit these days is next to impossible. No wonder businesses are going to the wall.
You would want to be incredibly brave or stupid to give out more then 30 days credit with the way places are folding these days.
I give all my clients 30 days to pay invoices, except for printing which is up front (most printers stopped giving credit as businesses were ordering volumes of work and not bothering to pay). Its still tough to get paid, even by the bigger businesses.
Plenty of smaller businesses keep dodging pay with all sorts of excuses – mainly forgetting cheque book, not having enough cheques, waiting on a new cheque book and so on. I have often had to wait a full year to get paid.
Its frustrating.
I’ve been business for in excess of 20 years and this seems to be an Irish trait. Give 30 days credit, they take 60 and then post date multiple cheques. Very frustrating especially with repeat customers. I took a chance about 4 years ago with many customers and refused them credit. I proposed payment at point of dispatch by credit card and if they bought at the right time of the month they could avail of free credit for up to 6 weeks. Worked a treat, I was paid without having to extend terms, the customer got credit. I have 4 irish customers who still persist in late payments but I’m willing to put up with these customers as they only make up about 3% of TO.
Foreign clients are willing to pay in advance for preferential service. Happy days. I know this may not work for all business.
The construction industry (main contractors) demand credit under the crazy form of contract that exists which leaves subcontractors (the real contractors) in a very dangerous position and are left relying on the Main Contractor to pay on time and in full. Neither happens in most (not all) cases. This is also the situation even on Government projects. When the client (the Government) accepts a low tender calling it “value for money” perhaps they should consider the real cost carried by the sub contractor in the form of lay offs, closures, stress, I’ll health due to the pressure and so on.
A cheap price means someone suffers!!
I,m waiting for payment for work done in feb 2012. Fed up of chasing them!!
Thats ridiculous in this day and age. Who would let this happen?!
Daniel, it’s not a matter of letting it happen. It’s the reality of trying to run a business
Tis true. Restrictions and legislation needs to be put in place. I will be surprised if ISME does not act!
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