More than 1,000 children in Ireland now homeless

Almost 1,000 children were homeless and living in emergency accommodation in Dublin alone during one week last month.

More than 1,000 children in Ireland now homeless

Almost 1,000 children were homeless and living in emergency accommodation in Dublin alone during one week last month.

The number of homeless children across the country has now exceeded 1,000 for the first time, Focus Ireland stated today.

Some 911 children in Dublin were registered as being homeless and living in emergency accommodation from March 23-29, according to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, up from 803 in February.

A total of 1,482 people were in emergency accommodation in the fourth week of March.

That figure is made up of 411 families, an increase from the previous month's number of 371.

When work began compiling the statistics last June, 567 children were in emergency accommodation.

The Homeless Executive said that services across Dublin's 4 local authorities are facing "unprecedented demand" for places at the moment.

Focus Ireland blamed the Department of Social Proection's refusal to increase rent supplement rates for the rise in homelessness.

"This has left families unable to afford the rents which landlords now demand," a Focus Ireland statement read.

"The mass eviction and homelessness of large numbers of workless families is the direct and inevitable consequence of the Department of Social Protections policy.

"The cost to the taxpayer of having so many families living in B&Bs and hotel rooms is enormous, every 50 families who are homeless costs €3m per annum to house.

"But the social cost to the families and to the future of these children is incalculable."

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