A record 15,199 people were homeless in November, the Department of Housing has confirmed. 

For the first time since records began, more than 15,000 people in the State are accessing emergency accommodation and 4,658 of them are children. 

The figures represent a slight increase of 223 people since October - when there were 14,966 people registered as homeless. 

A rough sleeper in Dublin. Picture by: Conor Healy / Picture It Photography.

Housing charity Focus Ireland said the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to put the crisis at the heart of Government formation talks. 

“Contrary to what most party leaders seem to think, housing supply alone will not solve the homelessness crisis,” spokesperson Mike Allen said. 

“We need to prioritise and support people who are homeless into new homes. nLast year, Ireland built more social homes than it had in years, yet few homeless households were able to access them and homelessness still increased. 

“To reverse the trend, we need targeted use of housing supply, ensuring a portion of new homes is ring-fenced for long-term homeless households.”

During last year’s General Election campaign, Fianna Fáil’s James Lawless declined to say when the homeless figures might start to fall. 

Minister Lawless said that increasing the number of new homes built is a “big part of that solution” but there are also “other complicating factors”.

Main image: Homelessness in Ireland. Picture by: PA Archive/PA Images.