The latest homeless figures have been slammed as "truly shocking" as over 9,000 people are now without a home in Dublin.
A new report from the Department of Housing revealed that 9,160 people were in emergency accommodation in May. In total, there were 12,441 people accessing emergency accommodation across the country in May.
Sinn Fein's housing spokesperson Cllr Daithi Doolan said: "A whole new generation are being caught up in the trauma of homelessness. The real travesty is that this could all have been avoided
“Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has failed each and every one of these people. The population of a small town like Enniscorthy or Monaghan Town is now homeless in Dublin as a direct result of the policies he and his Government are pursuing."
Read more: Over 9,000 people homeless in Dublin with slight increase in May
Dublin had the highest number of any county in May, with 6,358 adults homeless. This figure makes up 73 per cent of all homeless adults in Ireland.
There were 2,802 children entering emergency accommodation in Dublin in May, which is an increase of 80 from 2,722 in April. Homeless charities DePaul, Dublin Simon and Peter McVerry Trust all have reacted to the latest homeless figures for May, saying it is "disappointing" to see that figures are continuing to rise.
Cllr Doolan added: "Minister O’Brien must step down. He has failed, even by his own standards. At a time of unprecedented homelessness, the Department of Housing has underspent by €1billion and continues to miss their own housing targets.
"The Government must reinstate the eviction ban, release the underspend to Dublin local authorities and cut the red tape on procurement. These three easy, cost free actions would be welcomed as the first steps in the right direction.”
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
