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Homeless figures rise again as a record number of children go without a home
Published 16:31 31 Jul 2026 BST
Updated 16:02 31 Jul 2026 BST
Homenews
The new figures are out
The latest homeless figures from the Department of Housing show 17,482 people were living in emergency accommodation across Ireland in June, a slight rise of 35 on May – and a record number of them were children.
What the homeless figures mean for children
The Simon Communities of Ireland said it was “unacceptable” that 5,620 children are spending their summer holidays in emergency accommodation, noting a 17% rise in the number of families and a 13% rise in the number of children over the past 12 months.
"For most children, the summer holidays are a time for playing outdoors and making happy memories with family and friends. But for thousands of children experiencing homelessness, summer means another day in a hotel room or family hub."
The charity has called on the Government to ringfence funding in Budget 2027 to prevent the trauma of homelessness. For more Irish news, stay with us.
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