The Government has been urged to “radically increase” the number of social homes being built as homelessness hits another record high. 

Yesterday, the Department of Housing revealed there were 14,009 people living in emergency accommodation - up 14% in the space of a year. 

Housing charity Depaul spokesperson Dermot Murphy described the figures as "quite stark". 

“Yesterday’s figures when they came out [showed] there’s now over 14,000 people in total who are homeless - with over 4,200 of them being children,” he said. 

“I think it’s quite clear there’s a need to radically increase the number of social homes that are going to be built.” 

A housing development under construction, Carrigaline, County Cork. Image: David Creedon / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Murphy said more and more people are “staying longer” in homeless accommodation and said it is “essential” that the Government aims to build 50,000 homes a year. 

Last year, there were 32,695 homes built in Ireland and Taoiseach Simon Harris has predicted that figure will rise to around 40,000 this year.

Main image: A homeless person.