Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that homeless numbers are rising in the absence of an emergency response from the government. 

His comments were made as the May homeless report from the Department of Housing showed significant increases in all categories of officially recorded homelessness.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The latest report from the Department of Housing shows that in May all categories of officially recorded homelessness have increased significantly.

“While the Department’s monthly report does not capture the true extent of homelessness, it gives us a clear indication of the growing housing and homeless crisis.

“Last month, the total number of people in the Department of Housing-funded emergency accommodation was 12,441, including 3,699 children. That is an increase of 77 adults and 105 children on April’s figures.

“May also saw an increase in single person and family homelessness with 37 more families and 22 more singles in emergency accommodation in the previous month.

“The annual increase in homeless levels is a staggering 20% and for children the increase is 22% over the last 12 months.

“Rising levels of homelessness is the direct result of government’s failure to put in place an emergency response to what continues to be an ever-growing humanitarian crisis.

“We have been urging the Minister for Housing to put in place an emergency response for over a year now. 

“Such a response would include suspending planning and procurement powers to deliver additional social and affordable housing using modular building technologies and vacant properties; increasing and accelerating the social and cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme; and crucially restoring the ban on no fault evictions until the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation start to fall.

“This government is not taking this homeless crisis seriously. No Minister in modern times has presided over such a high and ever rising level of adult and child homelessness. It is clear they do not have the political will to tackle this crisis and both reduce and end long-term homelessness.”