Government should “hang their hands in shame” over homeless crisis says Doolan

Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan has said the government should “hang their heads in shame” over the escalating homeless crisis in Dublin.

Friday’s figures from the Department of Housing showed that 15,199 people availed of homeless services in Ireland in November 2024, marking the first time the figure went above 15,000.

In Dublin alone, 10,925 people were in homeless services, a stark increase of 1,000 compared to the same time period in 2023.

Doolan said the figures are “truly shocking.”

“Nearly 11,000 people are confirmed homeless in Dublin. This includes 3,475 children, an increase of 359 over the last twelve months. The government should hang their heads in shame.”

“These figures do not even tell the whole truth about the homeless crisis in Dublin. These figures hide the many other thousands who are not registered homeless, families who are forced to sofa surf, staying on friends or relatives floors,” he noted, referring to the sociological trend of “invisible homelessness” where people are not officially registered as homeless or avail of homeless services.

Doolan remarked “these figures represent the abject failure of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in government. Their housing policies are the cause of the current housing crisis. With each passing month the figures grow higher and higher and the crisis gets deeper and deeper.”

“The ongoing dependency on private landlords and developers must end. Otherwise the homeless numbers will only continue to grow with every passing month.

“The incoming government must have a new, radical housing policy delivering the biggest council housing programe in the history of the state. Anything less will only make the situation worse.”