Opposition TDs have predicted that the homeless crisis will get worse before it gets better.
16,996 people availed of homeless services across Ireland in November 2025, breaking the previous all-time record high of 16,766.
The figure is on a par with the population of Leixlip, County Kildare.
The all-time record high figure was broken multiple times across 2025, highlighting the government being unable to get a handle on the issue.
The figure is an increase from the previous set of figures of 16,766, which were published in late October.
12,143 of the overall national figure was in Dublin, with 5,321 children in homeless accommodation across Ireland in November 2025.
In August 2021, homeless figures stood at 8,141 nationwide, with 2,189 of those figures being children, marking a doubling of the figures in four years.
After the lifting of the no-fault eviction ban in March 2023, homeless figures, which had seen a sharp decline during that temporary measure, started to see a steady rise again and directly led to the all-time record high figure being broken in nearly every month in 2025.
Sinn Féin TD Eoin O’Bróin said, “it is clear that government housing policy is driving record increases in homelessness.”
“Their social and affordable housing targets are too low and are being missed year on year, and there is no homeless prevention strategy in place.”
The Dublin Mid-West TD noted that funding for homeless prevention schemes such as tenant-in-situ has been cut, with the funding, usually provided by local authorities, cut by the Department of Housing last year without consultation from elected representatives.
“Without a radical reset of housing policy, including an emergency package of measures to reduce and end homelessness, as proposed by Sinn Féin and others, then this crisis will only get worse in 2026,” he said.
Social Democrats TD and housing spokesperson Rory Hearne noted that 5,321 children opened their Christmas presents in a hotel room or homeless accommodation in 2025.
The Dublin North-West TD said, “this government continues to refuse to accept responsibility for this crisis and instead tries to deflect from its own failures.”
Hearne criticised comments from Tánaiste Simon Harris, which conflated rising homeless levels with immigration levels, a statement which Hearne called “wildly inaccurate.”
“Trying to scapegoat immigration for their own housing failures represents a new low for this government and will do nothing to help the record numbers of families and individuals facing into another year of homelessness.”
The Soc Dems housing spokesperson said, “the homelessness figures are a stain on our society. The government needs to acknowledge that notices of termination are a major cause of this crisis. At a minimum, it must reinstate the ban on no-fault evictions and ramp up state-led delivery of social and affordable homes.”