Today\u2019s record homeless numbers are another shameful milestone and an indictment of this government, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.<\/p>\n
Deputy Hearne made his comments as a new record high for homelessness was confirmed this afternoon:<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s figures show there were 16,353 people living in homeless emergency accommodation at the end of August. Shockingly, 5,145 of them are children. These record numbers are a shameful milestone for a government that continues to deprioritise homelessness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese numbers are the direct result of policy choices made by the government. This is what happens when you do not protect vulnerable renters, or prevent them from becoming homeless.<\/p>\n
\u201cFurther analysis of figures released last month shows 1,559 families with 3,273 children have spent longer than 6 months in emergency accommodation, a 246% increase since 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201c3,773 families with 7,923 children presented as homeless in the 12 months from July \u201824 to July \u201825 – that is 22 children every day. Since this latest government was elected in December, 6,600 children have been made homeless.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe legacy of successive Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael governments is one of complete failures to prioritise ending homelessness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe coalition has failed to protect families and children from evictions and skyrocketing rents, to deliver sufficient social and affordable housing, and to invest in prevention.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, it has undermined and gutted the one scheme that was reducing homelessness – the Tenant in Situ scheme.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe budget must reinstate the full Tenant in Situ scheme and increase its funding so that local authorities can keep those facing eviction into homelessness in their homes and turn insecure private rental housing into social housing<\/p>\n
\u201cThese abject failures are intolerable and inexcusable \u2013 rising levels of homelessness will continue to outpace any social and affordable housing delivery from the State unless there is a radical shift in government policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese numbers are real families and real children experiencing serious trauma day in and day out \u2013 their plight cannot be ignored any longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
July 25th, 2025<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today\u2019s record homeless numbers are another shameful milestone and an indictment of this government, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne made his comments as a new record high for homelessness was confirmed this afternoon: \u201cToday\u2019s figures show there were 16,353 people living in homeless emergency accommodation at the end of August. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[663,10,7,510],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homelessness","category-housing-crisis","category-press-release","category-rory-hearne"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n