For the first time, the number of children experiencing homelessness and living in emergency accommodation has surpassed 5,000, reports RTE.
Data released by the Department of Housing indicates that 5,014 children are currently without a permanent home and are residing in accommodation provided by the State.
The same data reveals that the overall homeless population, those relying on emergency accommodation, rose to 16,058 last month, reports RTE.
That figure is up from 15,915 recorded in June.
The number of homeless children—5,014—represents an increase of 56 compared to the previous month’s total of 4,958.
Focus Ireland described the development as “truly shocking,” pointing out that homelessness has almost doubled over the past four years—from 8,132 in July 2021 to 16,058 in July this year, reports RTE.
Its Chief Executive, Pat Dennigan, said it was heartbreaking that the number had surpassed 5,000 just as children were preparing to return to school, noting that 5,000 children is “the equivalent of 220 primary school classes of children who are homeless”.
“Many went back to school from the stress of living in emergency homeless accommodation. We believe that no child should be without a home,” Mr Dennigan said, reports RTE.
“Homelessness hurts everyone and it hurts children the most. We need to end child homelessness. For good,” reports RTE.
Simon Community’s Executive Director, Ber Grogan, said the charity is observing a “growing demand” for support.
“Increasing numbers of people looking for whether that’s emergency accommodation or access to the food bank or some of the different services that are provided by people across the country,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms Grogan explained that one of Simon’s primary goals is to prevent individuals from needing emergency accommodation, and the organisation has been urging the Government—specifically the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform—to make homelessness prevention a priority in Budget 2026.
“We need exits from homelessness but we need to stop the vast numbers of people being forced to experience the trauma of homelessness every year,” she said, reports RTE.
Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on social protection, Louise O’Reilly, called the figures a “damning indictment” of the current administration.
“They have utterly failed,” she said, reports RTE.
Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne said reaching this “grim milestone” should “shame us as a society”.
“We are talking about people, not just numbers – behind these bleak statistics lie harrowing stories of human hardship and suffering, reports RTE.
He added: “Having to live in substandard accommodation is affecting the wellbeing and futures of these children. The real tragedy is that child homelessness is not inevitable – it is the direct result of policy choices made by the Government,” reports RTE.
Labour’s housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan described the fact that more than 5,000 children are now homeless as a “national scandal,” and he believes the actual number is far greater due to unrecorded, hidden homelessness.
Mr Sheehan stated that when a child becomes homeless, “their childhood is robbed from them”, reports RTE.
“They have worse outcomes across all levels, whether it be mental health, whether it be education, whether it be societal,” he said, reports RTE.
Mr Sheehan said people staying in emergency accommodation have likened it to prison, “and that’s what we’re condemning these 5,014 children to”, reports RTE.
“What I would add is this, it’s 5,014 children that we know of, the real figure, the hidden homeless … it is an awful lot higher,” added Mr Sheehan, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
