The list of tragic indictments trailing our Government just became a little longer with the revelation that 1,000 children under the age of eight will spend Christmas in emergency accommodation.
Focus Ireland has unveiled this shocking figure in a report today.
The charity’s representatives have examined the age profile of 307 families who availed of emergency accommodation services between the months of March and October this year. The families included 630 children.
When the statistics were analyzed, the charity came to the shocking conclusion that almost two thirds of the children affected were under the age of eight, and almost 40% were aged four and younger.
Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy Mike Allen has said that: “The huge number of very young children is deeply shocking,”
“It is little over year ago that we put the rights of children in our constitution.
“But when you think of these 1,000 very young children living in emergency accommodation at Christmas, it reminds you of how much more we have to do to make that a reality.”