Dublin, 29th August, 2025 – Commenting on the release of July’s Homeless report by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul, is saddened as we reach perhaps the grimmest milestone yet – 5,014 children living in homelessness in Ireland.

The just released numbers which continue to climb hit 16,058 in July including 11,044 adults. The numbers show there are 2,343 families and 5,014 children accessing local authority managed emergency accommodation. This is nearly double the amount of children just five years ago when it was 2,651 for the same period.

“The government’s Programme for Government has an ambition that Ireland will be ‘the best country in Europe to be a child’. Clearly for those children in housing stress and homelessness this is not the case. It appears that we have become anesthetised to the issue of this blight on children’s lives. As children all over Ireland head back to school – it is hard to not think of these 5,014 children languishing in short-term emergency accommodation with their families. We are incredibly disappointed – we see first-hand in our services the damage and impact the state of homelessness has on children when they experience the trauma and hardship of living in temporary accommodation services.”

“Every day they spend in emergency, unsuitable accommodation, is another day of their childhood stolen – it’s time for disgust at the inactivity we have seen to fix this situation – which has been described as a national priority requiring immediate radical action – yet we are not seeing evidence of this.”

“It is clear that the government’s forthcoming relaunch of Housing for All is one of the most significant government policy launches in a generation.This document must have an ambition and a set of actions and energy from government to accelerate and make the change needed to deliver the actions needed to create sustainable and viable communities. Immediately, in the short term emergency measures must be taken to prioritise those families in temporary accommodation for the allocation on any new social housing.”

“There must be an immediate allocation of funding to local authorities to maintain the tenant in situ scheme which has been a fundamental homeless prevention tool without which thousands more would be in homelessness. The HSE and Tusla must examine what supports are being provided for children who find themselves in temporary accommodation and increase those supports for those children who are most vulnerable.”

“Depaul is also calling for an examination of the current Housing Assistance Payment system (HAPS) particularly in light of the changes to the Rent Pressure Zones. We must provide a national five-year plan for the reduction of Private Emergency Accommodation as a major source of temporary accommodation, particularly for families and children. Housing is the most basic and fundamental need yet a large number of people in this country do not have a secure, affordable, decent place to call home.”

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For further information please contact: Colette Campbell: Communications & Advocacy Depaul – colette.campbell@depaulcharity.net