The Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said it is unacceptable that a 5-year-old boy had to eat his dinner from a cardboard tray on a busy Dublin street.
Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Mr Coveney said that no child should be eating their dinner from cardboard on the street.
The Tánaiste’s comments come after the shocking and heartbreaking image of the boy named as Sam was shared on social media by The Homeless Street Cafe in recent days.
The image which has sparked outrage online, prompted Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty to raise the issue in the Dáil.
Speaking about the image Mr Doherty said the incident was a national shame and there were almost 4,000 children like Sam in a similar situation.
He also stated that the streets were no place for such young children as they all should be safely tucked up in their warm beds at night.
Although the Tánaiste said the Government are working on implementing a number of new measures to tackle the homeless crisis, he did admit that supports being put in place are not helping children like young Sam.