Government cannot continue to ignore record homelessness – Sheehan
Government cannot continue to ignore record homelessness – Sheehan - The Labour Party
- 17,308 people now homeless nationwide
- Over 5,400 children in emergency accommodation
Labour’s Housing Spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has said the Government can no longer ignore the escalating homelessness crisis, following the publication of the latest figures showing 17,308 people, including 5,457 children, are now in emergency accommodation – the highest level on record.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Ever-increasing homelessness is not inevitable. It is the direct result of repeated failures in Government housing policy. Yet this Government continues to ignore what has become a worsening national emergency. The number of children in emergency accommodation as of February 2025 stood at 4,653, a stark year-on-year increase that should shame any administration into action.
“One in four households entering homelessness in Dublin is coming directly from the private rental sector, driven by Notices of Termination and unaffordable rents. We are now seeing a wave of large-scale evictions following the Government’s botched rent measures, and this crisis will deepen further when the full impact of the RTB Amendment Bill takes hold.
“The Government’s response has been to accept rising homelessness as collateral damage. That is simply unacceptable. These numbers will continue to climb unless urgent emergency action is taken now.
“We need to see an immediate change in approach. The criteria for second-hand acquisitions and tenant-in-situ purchases must be broadened through a new circular so this vital prevention tool can be used effectively again. The collapse in prevention measures compared to last year is clear in the data.
“These figures are also an undercount. They do not include rough sleepers, those in domestic violence refuges, people in hidden homelessness, or those in the international protection system. The real scale of this crisis is far greater.
“Government must increase its targets for social and affordable housing to at least 16,000 homes per year to address the existing deficit. We also need a national framework to support vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. Nearly 300 people recorded as homeless by the HSE could not be discharged from hospital in 2024 and 2025 because they had nowhere to go.
“Emergency action is required, including an immediate three-year moratorium on no-fault evictions, similar to what was introduced during the Covid crisis. This would stabilise the number of people entering homelessness and provide the breathing space needed to begin reducing it.
“This situation is not inevitable. It is the result of political choices, and different choices can deliver different outcomes. With urgency, leadership and the right policies, homelessness can be reduced. The Government must act now before even more individuals and families are pushed into homelessness.”