Another record for the number of people registered as homeless in Ireland has been branded 'a national scandal'.
Department of Housing figures show 13,841 were in emergency accommodation in February which included 4,170 children.
The figure is a 17% increase on a year ago.
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik said the Government's approach to housing has failed.
"These staggering figures are not just statistics; they represent real lives devastated by Government inaction," she said.
"It is an utter disgrace that in a country as wealthy as ours, thousands of our citizens, including over 4,000 children, are left without a place to call home.
"This is a national scandal that demands urgent attention and decisive action."
'The problem is far greater'
Deputy Bacik said the figures "only scratch the surface" with many more people facing "exorbitant rents, inadequate tenant protections, and the trauma of domestic violence."
"The true scale of the problem is far greater than what these statistics reveal," she added.
Paul Sheehan from the Simon Communities said it is not getting easier for people in emergency accommodation.
"It's very tough having to turn somebody away and say, 'No we don't have a bed for you tonight'," he said.
"Obviously it's not as tough as the person who is being turned away.
"There's still a bite in the winter, we've experienced that over the last few days.
"It looks like for the foreseeable future it's going to be wet.
"You're trying to survive in wet, cold, damp conditions pretty much looked down on by society," he added.
