Ireland’s homeless population almost at an all-time high

DUBLIN: Homelessness in Ireland nears record high. Figures from the Department of Housing reveal that the number of homeless people in the second quarter of this year was 10,492. This includes 7,421 homeless adults and 3,071 homeless children.

NGOs including Focus Ireland point out that the number of homeless people is approaching an all-time high of 10,514 in October 2019. The number of homeless families is increasing month by month, with 1,385 families becoming homeless in June alone. This is an increase of 147 people compared to the first quarter of the year, according to the department’s figures.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said the continued rise in the number of people seeking emergency accommodation is a serious concern. Government, local authorities and NGOs are making every effort to help the homeless. The changes to the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme have been made with this objective in mind. The minister said that the notice period for eviction of tenants has been increased from 28 to 90 days.

Meanwhile, opposition parties and voluntary organizations, including Sinn Féin, came forward to severely criticize the government on the housing issue. Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has accused the housing minister of being “asleep at the wheel” as the number of people who are homeless increases in the country.

“Not a single emergency measure commensurate with the scale of the homeless crisis has been introduced to date.” If the minister does not act in the coming days and weeks, “the crisis will continue to get worse”, said Eoin Ó Broin.

Caoimhe O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Dublin Simon Community said it was disappointing to see the number of people staying in emergency accommodation in Dublin rise for another month. He also asked the government to bring 5,000 vacant properties back into use through the Repair and Lease Scheme.