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Homelessness is neither inevitable nor acceptable
The number of children living in emergency accommodation in Ireland has almost doubled in five years. Homelessness charity Depaul calls for urgent coordinated action to address this deepening crisis
HEALTH, CARE & SUPPORT
David Carroll
Chief Executive, Depaul
David Carroll
Chief Executive, Depaul
Issue 80 | October 2025
Depaul has recently launched its 2024 Impact Report, and as I reviewed the data, I am once again struck by the level of crisis we are facing in Ireland in relation to homelessness.
Just last month, we made history when the Homeless report – issued by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage – reported 16,353 people were living in emergency accommodation, including 2,343 families and 5,145 children.
This is nearly double the number of children just five years ago, when it was 2,651 for the same period, and does not take into consideration those thousands of children in international protection or domestic violence temporary accommodation. It’s also clear that similar pressures exist north of the border.
Child homelessness
The Irish government’s Programme for Government has stated its ambition that Ireland will be ‘the best country in Europe to be a child’.
Clearly, for those children experiencing homelessness, this is not the case.
It appears we have become anaesthetized to the issue of this blight on children’s lives, but at Depaul, we see firsthand the damage and impact the state of homelessness has on children when they experience the trauma and hardship of living in temporary accommodation. Emergency measures must be taken to prioritise these families for the allocation of any new social housing.
The announcement that the government has reopened the ability to purchase second-hand acquisitions for large families who have been homeless for more than two years is a small progressive step.
However, the sheer scale and complexity of overlapping crises mean that too many children are growing up without the stability, safety and tailored support they urgently need.
This is deeply troubling because we know that experiencing homelessness in childhood has long-lasting effects: it is linked to poorer mental wellbeing and a higher risk of homelessness in adulthood. The Health Service Executive (HSE) and Tusla (Child and Family Agency) must examine what support is being provided for children who find themselves in temporary accommodation and target support for those children who are most vulnerable.
children currently living in emergency accommodation in Ireland – compared to 2,651 five years ago
families living in emergency accommodation
people living in emergency accommodation
“At Depaul, we see firsthand the damage and impact the state of homelessness has on children when they experience the trauma and hardship of living in temporary accommodation.”
Health crisis
Aside from the scale of homelessness and the housing crisis unfolding across Ireland and Northern Ireland, we are also concerned with the rise in trauma-related issues, mental health challenges and addiction among the adults we work with.
As an organisation working on both sides of the border of this shared island, we see the urgent needs daily. The issues are similar in both jurisdictions, and we must now address them through a shared island lens.
Many are struggling with suicidal thoughts, self-harm and addiction, pointing to a frontline under immense pressure and a system that is failing those most in need.
Last year alone, nearly 10,000 people turned to us for support across the island of Ireland. Behind those numbers are families, children and individuals whose lives are being shaped by homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges.
people turned to Depaul for support across the island of Ireland last year
Addressing homelessness
We believe there are things we can do, but it will take bravery and ambition from the government. Looking at the medium to long term, it is clear that the government’s forthcoming relaunch of Housing for All is a huge opportunity and one of the most significant government policy launches in a generation.
This document must be ambitious and must include a set of actions to accelerate and make the changes needed to create sustainable and viable communities. We all know the government must act decisively and urgently in relation to housing supply.
However, it must address major deficiencies in our national housing planning processes. We must:
- Build the right social housing, in the right places, for the right demographic groups.
- Be needs-led, rather than finance-led. Following the Residential Tenancies Board’s very stark Q3 report, which outlined a 17% annual rise in the notification of termination of private rented tenancies, it is critical to maintain the funding for the tenant in situ scheme, which has been a fundamental homeless prevention tool, without which thousands more would be in homelessness. The changes to the Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) announced in May mean that the people we serve will be financially prohibited from accessing any new private rented stock being developed, necessitating a fundamental review of the current Housing Assistance Payment system.
- Be provided with a national five-year plan for the reduction of Private Emergency Accommodation as a major source of temporary accommodation, particularly for families and children. This applies as much north of the border as it does in the south.
Coordinated action
We will look back on this period and ask: how did we find ourselves in this place? However, homelessness is not inevitable. With the proper support, people can and do move forward. What’s needed now is urgent, coordinated action to scale up housing supply, invest in addiction and mental health supports and adequately fund the frontline workforce that is holding this system together.
As we approach the budget, now more than ever, we are advocating for the Irish Government to deliver on its promise to tackle homelessness and deliver more safe, secure housing for people.
Housing is the most basic and fundamental need, yet a large number of people on this shared island do not have a secure, affordable, decent place to call home.
At Depaul, our mission is to work to change that.
“As we approach the budget, now more than ever, we are advocating for the Irish Government to deliver on its promise to tackle homelessness and deliver more safe, secure housing for people.”
