More than 5,000 children are now experiencing homelessness in Ireland for the first time, as latest figures reveal a total of 16,058 people living in emergency accommodation at the end of July.
The Department of Housing’s monthly update shows 5,014 children and 2,343 families were homeless, marking the seventh consecutive month of increases this year and setting another record for emergency accommodation usage.
Opposition politicians and advocacy groups described the milestone as a “dark” and “shameful” moment, with several drawing parallels to Ireland’s institutional care history.
Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne argued that children are being “institutionalised” by the state, telling a Simon Communities press conference: “We look back at the institutionalisation of children and families and we go, God, how did that happen? And yet it’s happening right now.”
Hearne criticized the lack of tracking for individual children’s experiences, noting families describe emergency accommodation as “prison-like” conditions where parents struggle to care for their children properly.
Ber Grogan, executive director of Simon Communities of Ireland, highlighted that most homeless families are single-parent households, typically headed by mothers, questioning whether Ireland continues to “punish single parents who can’t afford extortionate rents.”
Labour TD Conor Sheehan emphasized the harsh living conditions, describing families spending years in accommodation with “mould, dampness” where they “can’t cook meals” and rely on school breakfast clubs to feed children.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy warned against normalizing the crisis, noting the baseline “only ever goes one way, which is up” and calling for society to reject treating such conditions as acceptable.
Niall Garvey from Mid West Simon reported increasing mental health challenges among parents in emergency accommodation, with rising referrals to Tusla for child welfare concerns as families struggle in unsuitable hotel rooms and converted guesthouses.
The figures represent a dramatic increase from previous years, with opposition politicians predicting the crisis will become “the next institutional abuse scandal” requiring state acknowledgment within decades.