The numbers registered as homeless have reached record levels again.
Department of Housing figures show there were 15,286 in emergency accommodation in January.
The total includes 4,603 children who are living in B&Bs and hotels.
The figure from the Department of Housing is almost 13% higher than a year ago.
Compared to the previous month - there was an increase of 422.
The issue is most acute in Dublin where there are 7,497 adults and 3,415 children registered as homeless.
The Housing Minister James Browne says he is committed to reducing the numbers who are living in emergency accommodation - however today seemed to row back on a Government commitment to eradicate homelessness by 2030.
"Helplessness"
Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan says: "With recent troubling world events, it is understandable to feel a sense of helplessness, however, as a nation and society, Ireland has the control to significantly change homelessness for the better.
"In the past fortnight we met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Housing Minister James Browne outlining how new social homes should be leveraged to genuinely assist the most vulnerable.
"Focus Ireland believes that fairer housing allocations can greatly help reduce the number of families and individuals experiencing homelessness. With the right actions, 2025 could be a key turning point in the crisis.
"Ireland is a wealthy country with a surplus that many nations envy, and homelessness should not be seen as something we must accept. It’s important to remember that homelessness can be prevented and ended with the right policies."
The latest report on homelessness in the Dublin Region is available on our website now: https://t.co/tJgxmBbday pic.twitter.com/DSY3djO1yi
— Homeless Dublin (@HomelessDublin) February 28, 2025
Dublin Simon Community says despite repeated warnings Government still lacks a comprehensive plan to reduce these numbers. The crisis is deepening, yet thousands of people remain trapped in emergency accommodation with no clear pathway to a home.
Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, says: "The homelessness crisis is not an inevitability—it is a direct result of political choices. What people need are able pathways out of homelessness—homes they can afford, security they can rely on, and policies that prioritise long-term solutions. People need hope and security, not continued scarcity, unaffordability, and instability.
"The Government cannot continue to push homelessness down the agenda. It must become a central pillar of a new national housing strategy—anything less is an abdication of responsibility.
"The latest report also includes 1,507 families and 3,415 children living in emergency accommodation in Dublin, a figure that does not even account for those rough sleeping, refugees, asylum seekers, individuals in domestic violence shelters, or those in hidden homelessness—people sleeping in cars, on couches, or in unsuitable living conditions. "
