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LAST UPDATE | 3 Jan
THE NUMBER OF people living in emergency accommodation increased in November to a record 15,199 people.
According to the latest figures from the Department of Housing, 10,541 adults and 4,658 children were in emergency accommodation in November.
It represents an increase of 233 people compared to October.
In a statement, homeless charity Focus Ireland called the figures ‘a wake-up call for the parties currently negotiating to form a government’.
“The two parties involved in forming a new Government went through the election without making any substantial proposals to tackle homelessness, but today’s news of a record number of people living though the misery of homelessness is a harsh reminder that that a Government side-stepping the issue will not be an option,” the charity’s director Mike Allen said.
“As temperatures drop below zero after Christmas, there is also widespread concern for the few hundred people who are sleeping rough on our freezing streets nationwide. People know that this is not acceptable and not inevitable, and they expect their Government to put in place solutions in their new government programme to help end all forms of homelessness.”
“The time for political debate is over,” Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said in a separate statement.
“The incoming government must act decisively and urgently to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Words are not enough—now is the time for tangible action.”
“With a new government taking shape, there is an opportunity for bold action. Preventative measures are key to stopping the flow of individuals and families into homelessness, while increasing the stock of social and affordable housing is essential to ensure homeownership is accessible to all, regardless of income. Without urgent, coordinated action, this crisis will continue to spiral.”
Responding to the latest figures, Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin described the situation as ‘shocking, unacceptable but entirely predictable’.
‘”It is no surprise that neither Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael referenced their own Governments commitment to end long term homelessness by 2030 in their election manifestos,” he said. “This can only be read as an admission that they have abandoned that commitment.”
The figures were also slammed by Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne, who said having more than 15,000 people homeless is a “grim milestone and a damning indictment of failed housing policy by successive governments”.
He called for a ban on no-fault evictions to be immediately introduced.
The 15,000 figure does not include those who are sleeping on the streets.
A survey of the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin in November last year by the Dublin Simon Community has alarmed the charity ahead of the cold snap that is expected this weekend.
The charity counted 134 people sleeping rough across all four local authorities in Dublin between 4 to 10 November, a 14% increase when compared to the same figures in 2023.
The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) met with stakeholders this morning to discuss the multi-hazard weather event taking place this weekend and next week.
‘Making every effort’
Following the meeting, a statement detailed that people who are sleeping rough will be contacted by relevant departments and stakeholders as emergency beds become available. All stakeholders are currently coordinating and facilitating those beds, it said.
Depaul said today that it is “making every effort” to make sure that all 700 temporary beds in its possession are made available throughout the country. The charity has already been operating with 20 extra beds in Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow this winter.
“We urge all people who are sleeping rough to make contact with their local authority homeless services to obtain an emergency bed,” the spokesperson added.
The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive said this week that it has 82 additional beds that it can add to resources during extreme weather events. It, similarly, reminded the public that beds are also made available by any local authority.
Of the 134 people who the Simon Community engaged with in Dublin last November, 104 of them had been registered as someone who was homeless and previously encountered services run by the local authority.
Of that cohort, the majority of them were male, Irish and between the ages of 26-45 years old. Most of the group, 86%, had links to the local authority – or council – which they were currently sleeping in.
Less than half, 43%, of the group were using tents. The Simon Community came across 17 individuals who were also included in the charity’s spring count.
Additional reporting from Jane Matthews and Muiris Ó Cearbhaill
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People who voted FFFG voted to continue this trend of record homelessness month per month. I hope they’re happy with their choice.
@Anthony Harte: Government sold out young adults to foreign investors buying up all properties so they can leash it to them at obscene rates.
It’s not an issue just here, it’s global.
@Anthony Harte: I’m happy with my house and my 2 rental properties
@Anthony Harte: If you blame the government for those who are homeless, do you give them credit for everybody who is not homeless?
@Mr. Cullen: Ye live in yer ma’s attic don’t ye?
@Philip Kennedy: moron!
@Anthony Harte: Whom do you suggest we vote for? Sinn Féin? If they cannot solve the problem of homelessness on their own turf they are hardly going to solve it here. Per head of population it is probably worse than here and getting worse.
@Vincent Alexander: Vincent, Vincent, Vincent. Once again, you’re comparing apples with oranges. As you well know, Westminster controls the purse strings in Stormont. Why are you lying?
@Anthony Curran: If Westminster controls the purse strings why do SF sit on their bottoms in Stormont taking the Kings schilling if they can do nothing. Why stick with an outmoded abstentionism policy and take their seats in Westminster where they can be heard.
@Mr. Cullen: just 2 pffft
When policies continue to fail then it becomes clear the policy is to fail. Keep rents and house prices as high as possible and jobs for the boys working for the vulture funds. In the meantime a generation of kids are growing up in hotel rooms and homeless hubs.
FF/FG don’t want to fix the housing crisis. It’s a crisis by design, and it’s designed to make them and their friends and supporters very wealthy. But wait a minute and someone will be along to tell you something something Sinn Féin IRA and how Mary Lou ate their hamster!
@Anthony Curran: Well, SF are in power in the north, and their homeless figures are 8183 Dec 23, and BBC NI mentioned that unofficial figures are indicating a steep rise in 2024. Our population is 5 times that of the North, how do you square that circle. Homelessness is a global problem and will never be solved 100% and SF won’t solve it either as the figures show.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Now Now Paul stop telling the truth.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Paul, you do know Westminster pulls the financial strings in the North. So stating that the North shows up worse than the South just gives one example of how British rule fails everyone in the 6 counties.
@Anthony Curran: Well, you and SF supporters here keep reminding us that they are in power, so based on what you just said, they aren’t, which is it? Northern Ireland gets a budget, and that budget is used for a host of stuff, including housing like another government. SF is quite expert at doing nothing and blaming everyone else. You really need to find some credibility, but that won’t happen.
And the country continues to protest,
ON THEIR, MOBILE PHONES
New year, same direction
@Brian D’Arcy: *rips off mask to reveal same face!
Elephant in room……
@Darragh Mcnamara: Careful now or Gavin Pepper will be tweeting that the government are housing elephants ahead of Irish people!
@I’m a robot Robot: You mean far right side. And he’s a clown. Ye gotta be thick as poundies to think he’s right. He just realised there’s an easy living to be made from racist fools.
Yet sadly homelessness doesn’t get you priority, gets you band 2 (overcrowded accommodation). Was only in with an allocation officer today and he told me anyone going on the DCC housing list today and in band 2 are looking at 12 to 20 years wait depending on the areas you choose.
This country is run by demons. Too much brainwashing going on in Europe and the Dail. What country in their right mind allows homelessness to continually increase and also open the doors to migrants when we have a housing crisis. A person with faith would not do this only an Evil person. The catholic church is an entity of God almighty.
@Martin Monaghan: Mary and Joseph were repeatedly turned away because all the inns were full. You might want to read up on what it means to be a Christian.
@Anthony Curran: Rape is up over 300% in Sweden, UK being exposed as the largest pedo ring country in the world. We don’t need these people in our country. Or you for that matter.
@Freda Peeple: “rape is up over 300% in Sweden” – a meaningless “statistic”. Over what period? And no doubt you will attribute this “increase” to one reason, and one reason only
@Freda Peeple: Do you have a reliable source for that Sweden statistic?
@Freda Peeple: ‘In Sweden, the total number of reported cases of sexual offences increased from 2012 to 2021, before falling somewhat again in 2022. Whereas a total number of over 16,000 sexual offenses were reported in 2013, this had increased to nearly 24,000 by 2023. The highest number of these were cases of sexual harassment, followed by rape. Especially the number of reported cases of rape increased over the period, from 6,000 in 2012 to 9,300 in 2023. This is probably down to an increased awareness about reporting.’
@Brendan O’Brien: sorry I got that wrong, but over 70% of offenders are foreign born, 2012-2022… so nothing about the biggest pedo coverup in history in the Uk? You two simps are disgusting individuals. And yes we can categorically say where these offenders are from and who they pray to. Their many wives and families cover up for them too. Beautiful culture.
@Brendan O’Brien: you don’t think the stats you provided are worrying?
@Freda Peeple: Amadán. It’s up 3 million percent Freda. Stop spreading lies for Bill Gates and Peppa Pig.
@Freda Peeple: Did you read what I posted? ‘This is probably down to an increased awareness about reporting.’
All sexual violence is worrying and wrong, but to try to use it to push an anti-migrant agenda is cynical. I suspect that many people with this agenda are misogynists who don’t genuinely care about violence against women in general in the first place.
@Brendan O’Brien: Quiet you absolute tool of a man, nothing about the grooming gangs torturing 10’s of thousands of underage girls? How can you twist that? There is something inherently evil about that cult. Anyway when Musk and Trump come in your job is gone
@I’m a robot Robot: Will you deal with me too? Oh pretty please, I wanna be lynched. Or maybe hung, drawn and quartered lol. Keep shaking yer fist at that cloud all in the realisation that the reason you’re angry is mainly because people like you are just sad failures.
@Freda Peeple: Exaggerate much Freda?
@Freda Peeple: You are distorting the ‘grooming gangs’ issue for your own purposes. The picture is more complicated than that.
@Freda Peeple: Also, ‘One thing worth noting is that, despite the tendency to criminalise migrants, if we analyse the figures we see that European societies have not become less safe as the foreign share of the population – particularly, asylum seekers, structurally more exposed to irregularity – increased.’
@Freda Peeple: looks like you want to be allowed to post absolute BS statistics without challenge, so as to push your obsessive agenda against Muslims. Well the world doesn’t work that way, and when people correctly challenge the stats that you provided in a respectful manner, you resort to name calling and abuse. Stay classy, “Freda”
@Anthony Curran: go online and look for yourself. Officials are saying up to 250k girls have been abused and covered up by successive governments and police chiefs for decades. It will be on msm soon thanks to Musk. Now go and do one you lefty half brain.
@Kevin Kerr: stay single and lonely you wetwipe. Thoughts on the grooming scandal before you go and iron your tea cosy?
@Brendan O’Brien: BBC hahaha good one Brendan
@Freda Peeple: All you’re doing is showing yourself up.
@Brendan O’Brien: No, you are a paid shill. Why else would you fall over yourself at every opportunity to defend the indefensible? Because you are a sick man, with no morals or ethics to speak of.
@Freda Peeple: go get some fresh air, or go for a run, smoke a spliff maybe, something to take the edge off things. I’m heading out to the beach now with my wife and foster dog before it gets dark
@Anthony Curran: and
@Anthony Curran: I know my faith.
@Anthony Curran: No Anthony I’m not a believer in religion and I honestly don’t know too much about Christianity, correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Christianity begin after jesus birth?. Thus all those who turned away Mary and Joseph couldn’t have been Christian.
@Ger Whelan: In fairness, he didn’t say that they were.
@I’m a robot Robot: Brendan and Kevin, if they’re not the same person, are a couple of old hacks employed by The Journal to monitor the posts and gaslight them if they are not of the correct narrative!
@Freda Peeple: …and openpolis.
This government knows full well the consequences of its policies, it is economic profit driven and not anything else, this is why we now see a record 15000+ now in emergency accommodation and many of that number very young children, these homeless people including the hundreds of Irish people who have died on the cold streets are the collateral damage FFG are quite content to allow happen. It also knows full well that it’s housing policy is not going to make a dent in this housing catastrophe. It’s election win this time round by the electorate will also ensure its continued course of failure in its housing policy. There will be no change in policy. Expect it to get worse from here on out.
It’s not going down because greed and profit is more important.
Over 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing to Ireland in last three years. If Russia didn’t invade, and they didn’t have a need to come here, we’d either have no problem, or the problem would be very small. How is this the governments fault??
@Eoghan: When the luftwaffe were bombing English cities during the Blitz, the children from those cities were relocated to rural areas of England and Wales. I’m all for helping people who need help but there are vast swathes of Ukraine that the war hasn’t touched.
@Eoghan: Vast swaves of Western Ukraine larger than the area of the UK is entirely unaffected by the war. In fact hotels in these areas continue to function as tourists accomodation . There has never been a need to evacuate Ukrainians into Western Europe, while Western Ukraine has been untouched, it is EU policy to drive up cheap labour and housing demand that promotes this directive.
@Eoghan: Israel invaded Gaza. Do you see hundreds and thousands of Palestinians coming here? So yes it’s the governments fault they didn’t have to allow hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to come here.
@Anthony Curran: not sure what’s that’s to do with my point.
@Ger Whelan: let’s welcome back all ours that have immigrated. You’re missing my point. I’d say if the Palestinians could afford to get out, they’re be out a long time ago.
@Ger Whelan: Are you that obtuse Ger? Are the Palestinians allowed to travel Ger? No, they’re not. They’re hemmed in like animals by the genocidal Netanyahu regime.
@Eoghan: I’m missing no point. Ireland didn’t have to take in 100thousand + Ukrainians. I’ll also wager those Ukrainians who arrived here didn’t pay for their own way to get here so our government could have paid for the Palestinians like they did the Ukrainians to get here. Our homeless issue has nothing to do with Russia invading Ukraine so stop talking rubbish.
@Anthony Curran: Well that’s a load of BS. Sure let’s forget when Leo Varadkar out Taoiseach at the time releasing a statement saying. Ireland will not offer Palestinians the same protection status as Ukrainians it’s up to the other Arab nations to look take them in. So clearly when it suited us ignore refugees of war and let others deal with it.
Record amounts of housing coming on line year after year, but we still have “homelessness “….hmmmm.
Perhaps we move the dole scroungers out of their free or 95% subsidised houses in our cities and into caravan parks and free up much needed housing for hard workers?
@Paul: Or we take the houses from those who have multiples to rent at extortionate rates leaving many of those workers unable to afford them due to greed . I am also capable of coming up with an unworkable solution, but feels in tune with my moral compass.
This country, this government (and previous), and those that continue to vote in these incompetent gobeens should be absolutely ashamed of themselves! 4,000 plus children homeless in this day and age, in one of the richest countries in the world is undeniably, unjustified and can’t be allowed to continue!
@Niall Binéad: 15,000 living in free accommodation provided by the state supported by the homeless industry which squanders millions (McVery trust etc.)
@Michael Reilly: free, don’t think so, you should check your facts before you start supporting Irish government incompetence!
@Niall Binéad: Agree – we pay for it.
Those “few hundred” (about 250) who are sleeping rough do so out of choice or mental health issues. That has zero to do with the shortage of housing in Ireland.
@Mr. Cullen: it has everything to do with lack of government services if it’s only 200 people.
@Mr. Cullen: The mental health service is in crisis too, that is also a government responsibility. No one, mentally ill or otherwise would choose a cold wet icy street to sleep on over a warm bed any night of the week.
@Freda Peeple: believe it or not yes some people prefer to live outside.
And the man who’s greatly responsible for this awful stain on society tops the pole in his North Dublin constituency. So the default conclusion is that people are happy with this, well they must as they’ve put him and his party back in power. Gimps.
@Andrew Kenny: Poll
@Andrew Kenny: thought you were talking about Santa for a moment there
I’m personally hearing of so many cases where single parents mostly single women parents are house jumping. They are already housed but not happy in the house or area so they play the mental health card and say a child has a condition a counsellor then gets involved and a councillor and within the year the person is off to a new estate brand new house after moving from a new estate and new house meanwhile myself and partner are on the housing list since 2019 and at last check 106 on the list for a 2 bed I have a disability but not using that as leverage and a councillor friend and TD friend but not using them either I believe in fairs fair. Maybe I should cop on and use everyone.
So, maybe stop letting people in
@Phillip Smyth: what do you suggest ?
Well done to all the “I’m alright jacks” who voted for 5 more years of this. I hope each and every one of you are ashamed of yourselves.
The primary reason that we have a housing crisis, and in turn so many people in emergency accommodation, is because of rent control laws which are rampant throughout Ireland. 98% of economists agree rent control is extremely harmful, yet this boneheaded government continually insists on expanding the number of rent-pressure zones. Profits are what persuades builders to construct more housing. When profits are high, more construction companies build. That’s what creates more housing and eventually lowers the cost of rent. When rent control is implemented, the supply of rental housing declines. It’s basic supply and demand. Why would builders try to enter a market where the government is actively trying to hurt them? If the government wants to fix the housing crisis, abolish rent control.
People knew this was going to happen and yet they still voted this Government back in
Shame on us all
@H Woo: its only the 4 th of January and we already have a winner for the silliest comment of the year!
Whats a punkies?its not all wife beaters and drunks who are homless
And everyone knows this
Its the person who cleans offices works in petrol stations ,its a couple who can’t afford the sky hig rents who are homless.
Again shame on us for bringing mediocrity back in government
15000 in emergency accommodation and efforts been made to accomodate ‘rough sleepers’.
I did a go with Simon and I smell vested interests.
Can’t be 15000 in ‘emergency accommodation’ unless we’re talking about hotels etc or the parents couch as well.
@H Woo: well said. Any comment from the McVery lads.
And what, what did we expect, the majority of this country voted in the same government again so well done to them. Everything wrong with this country could slowly begin to be avoided if we gave another party a shot..
No they are not side-stepping, they are not stepping at all….. Another 5000 euro increase coming for a job well done I’m sure.
Hoteliers making a fortune while ordinary businesses are being forced to close with rates hikes etc.
FFG.
Destroying our country.
People should read the report first before making comments
No engineers in the Dail or in Planning system. Only profession who are trained and knows how to deliver projects on time and on budget.
Esb, telecoms, water, waste water, internet, roads, air traffic control …. V
… Dept of housing, Justice, Planning, LAs, Welfare, … The Dail!
This really did not have to come to this it really did not! If 10% of the effort was pushed into housing homeless as what was done for immigrants as in immediate accommodation, if someone becomes homeless in this country In 2025 why in gods name can they not be taken to emergency accommodation immediately that night and helped on the road back to normal immediately instead of it getting worse from day one, the massive push for vacant homes the past few years but why wasn’t that always the case its a shambles, assure yourselfs this there is a greater than normal chance over the coming days of someone dying in a door way from the cold why not on day one of that person becoming homeless was there not an emergency push for a vacant home? A scandle sure to be talked about further no doubt.
have your say