17,482 people were confirmed to be in homeless accommodation by the Department of Housing in the most recent round of figures.
The figure is a rise from the 17,447 people confirmed to be in homeless accommodation by the Department of Housing in the most recent round of figures.
March 2026 was the first month in which controversial rent rules were implemented, with critics arguing erodes tenants’ rights and prevent tenants from attaining long-term security.
Of the figure, 5,620 are children, up from the previous figure of 5583.
12,417 people were confirmed to be homeless in Dublin, up from the previous figure of 12,370
While this month’s figures are a nominal win for the government, they are still near record-high levels.
When the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael/independents government took office in January 2025, the figure stood at 15,286 people.
The figures mark a dramatic increase from May 2016, when the 32nd Dáil met for the first time, when 6,189 people were in homeless accommodation.
Staff at the frontline of Ireland’s housing crisis have told how they desperately try to advocate for long-term residents living in emergency accommodation in Dublin.
Anthony Byrne, service manager of The Salvation Army-run Houben House in Harold’s Cross, said he was approached this week by a man whose family has lived at the facility for five-and-a-half years.
“I met him in a corridor after work and he told me he had applied for choice based lettings, which are pinned on the notice board, and asked me ‘can you do anything to help?’
“This man and his family need to be housed, he works full time and has three young children.”
Mr Byrne said the man and his family are not exceptions – another family who first entered Houben House six years ago were finally housed this week.
He advocates for families by contacting Council officials but admits he is ‘very limited’ in what he can do.
“Every time I see him I’m asking him ‘are you still living here?’ I’m just waiting to see if he’s housed and he needs to be.”
Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne said noted that children now comprise 32% of all homeless people, and that there has has been a 60% increase in child homelessness since Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael formed a government in 2020.
“Today’s figures don’t even reveal the true scale of the crisis as they exclude those in hidden homelessness – individuals who are sleeping rough, in cars, in tents, on friends’ couches or women and children living in domestic violence shelters,” the Dublin North-West TD noted.
“We cannot allow ourselves to become inured to these numbers – because homelessness is a tragedy that should never be normalised. In particular, the dire prospect of thousands of children starting the new school term in the coming weeks while living in cramped, unsuitable conditions is something that should shame us all.”
Hearne said “under this government, evictions continue to be the main driver of homelessness. The reality is that a majority of tenants – including the more than 60,000 households reliant on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) – are not covered by the Housing Minister’s new protections for renters.”
“This issue will not fall off the political agenda just because the Dáil is in summer recess. I will continue to hold the Government’s feet to the fire by pushing for an emergency three-year ban on no-fault evictions.
“This is the bare minimum required to prevent a further wave of homelessness.”