Yet another record has been set for the number of homeless people in Ireland.

Last month, there were 14,303 homeless people living in emergency accommodation - 144 more than were homeless in May.

The figures include 4,404 homeless children.

Simon Communities of Ireland Policy Analyst Rebecca Hamilton described the news as “shocking, yet unsurprising”.

“4,404 children are spending their summer holidays in emergency accommodation and simply, that is not good enough,” she said.

“It is possible to end homelessness; however, without a change in approach to tackling homelessness, we can expect it to continue to rise.

“The absence of a secure and safe place to call home is devastating, often leading to isolation, poor physical and mental health.”

Ms Hamilton urged the Government to increase spending on social housing and health supports for the homeless in this autumn’s budget.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien TD. Photograph: Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said increasing the supply of housing remains a priority for the Government.

“This Government has made record levels of investment available under Housing for All to support the delivery of housing,” he said.

“In 2024, over €5bn in investment is available to support the delivery of housing.

“My department is making funding of €242 million available for the delivery of homeless services in 2024 – a 12.6% increase on the Budget 2023 allocation.”

In June 2023, there were 12,600 people homeless in Ireland - meaning homelessness has increased by 14% in the space of a year.

Main image: A tent for a homeless person by the Grand Canal in Dublin, Ireland. Picture by: Alamy.com