Dublin: Ireland’s homelessness has reached an all-time high as the ban on tenant evictions is lifted. Sinn Fein and various homeless charities are warning the government that homelessness is becoming a serious issue in the country.
According to new figures from the Department of Housing, 11,988 more homeless people, including 3,472 children, were on the streets in March. This represents a 2.1% increase over February (11,742). On March 31, the government allowed landlords to evict tenants at will. In January, there were 11,754 homeless people.
The number of people in emergency shelters had risen to 9,000. In February, there were 3,373 homeless children. It was 3,431 in January.
Wayne Stanley, chief executive of Simon Communities of Ireland, said the homelessness figures were “shocking”. While welcoming the government’s Tenant in Situ scheme, he said more homes needed to be brought into the scheme.
David Carroll, chief executive of the charity DePaul, said the figures show the need to increase the supply of forests.
Focus Ireland said the real impact of the lifting of the ban on evictions is yet to be seen. The charity has warned the government that the situation will be unusual. The charity urged the government to take strong measures to deal with the potential disaster in the coming months. Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan stated that the organisation has received numerous calls and emails from homeless people.
Eoin O’Broin, a Sinn Féin spokesman, described the homeless situation as “very desperate.” Sinn Fein also noted that the current situation calls for the immediate reinstatement of the ban on evictions.
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