Homelessness

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#Homelessness

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Finian Coghlan (right) and his neighbour Trevor Whitaker at Athlone Marina. Picture: Paul Molloy</p>

spotlight

Life on the Shannon: Meet the Irish liveaboards choosing houseboats over rising rents

From rising costs to freedom and simplicity, Ireland’s liveaboards explain the realities of making homes on waterways

<p>Councillors told it was 'shocking' Clonakilty did not have a family resource centre. File picture: Denis Scannell</p>

munster

Tourists visiting 'affluent' Clonakilty don't see the 'poverty and social issues', says councillor

<p>The woman moving between the sofas of friends and family for the third month running does not appear in any official figure. File picture</p>

comment-analysis

Homeless figures don't count all those without housing

Man lying on sofa with feet up on armrest

munster

Cork homelessness figures do not capture scale of problem, new research shows

Serious sad man in dark. Depressed anxious person suffer from trauma, solitude or drug addiction. Homeless outcast with shame af

news

Mould, overcrowding, and prohibited items found at direct provision centres

Housing stock

spotlight

From tenements to today: How 1926 housing data reflects modern Ireland’s property challenges

Happy family on train station

Homeless figures hit record high with more than 17,500 people in emergency accommodation

Homeless numbers reach record 17,517, including over 5,500 children, as charities call for urgent Government action

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

Pressure on Micheál Martin as three of Fianna Fáil’s youngest TDs issue warning shot

Pressure on Micheál Martin as three of Fianna Fáil’s youngest TDs issue warning shot

It is terrible to consider so many people dying without a home to call their own

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

the notice of eviction of tenants hangs on the door of the house

Labour introduces bill seeking to reinstate ban on no-fault evictions

'Homelessness is continuing to rise and now renters are facing an even greater minefield when it comes to their real rights under the new rental legislation'

Thu, 02 Apr, 2026

Happy family on train station

Simon Communities calls for six-month limit on families in emergency accommodation

'HAP base rates must be uplifted to reflect current market rents,' the charity has told the Department of Housing in its submission to the Government

Sun, 29 Mar, 2026

Homelessness: 'One person told us they have sex with strangers to secure a place to sleep'

Homelessness: 'One person told us they have sex with strangers to secure a place to sleep'

Figures from the Department of Housing show that 11,851 adults and 5,457 children were homeless last month, up from January's 17,112

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

In the Hospital Sick Male Patient Sleeps on the Bed. Heart Rate Monitor Equipment is on His Finger.

Nearly 200 patients stuck in hospital due to homelessness as delayed discharges rise 29%

Rising homelessness and lack of housing options leave medically fit patients stranded in acute beds across the health system

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

Details of homelessness funding announced

Different language around homelessness 'has measurable impact', says charity

“Describing someone as 'a person experiencing homelessness' leads to greater empathy and concern for their wellbeing," said Simon Communities of Ireland executive director Ber Grogan

Mon, 16 Mar, 2026

Suitcase or luggage bag near by bed in a modern hotel room. Inter views of modern hotel room

Some counties have 25 times more Airbnbs than homes to rent, new report finds

The worst affected county is Kerry, which has 31 Airbnbs for every home to let. In Clare, that ratio is 28:1

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Girl hugging mother.

Paul Hosford: Ireland’s homelessness crisis didn’t just grow — our reaction to it quietly changed

Homelessness in Ireland has quadrupled in a decade — but public outrage has quietly faded as the crisis drags on

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Short-term letting rules will be useless without enforcement

Short-term letting rules will be useless without enforcement

Rules without enforcement are not only useless: They effectively signal to owners they can leave homes in their entirety, used as short-term lets for part of the year, to sit idle for much of the time, while thousands of families and people need a home

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Happy family on train station

Homelessness in Ireland surpasses 17,000 for first time

Latest Department of Housing figures show record numbers of adults and children in emergency accommodation

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Airbnb Website Ahead Of Earnings Figures

Rory Hearne: U-turn on short-term lets is cynical

The Government's roll back on its restrictions for short-term lets shows the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition has capitulated to parish pump politics, writes Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Ireland’s prison system under fire over treatment of inmates with mental illness

Ireland’s prison system under fire over treatment of inmates with mental illness

RTÉ documentary lays bare how prisoners with severe mental illness are failed by the State, with devastating consequences for families

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Desperate Woman

Housing crisis leaves women trapped between homelessness or staying with abuser

The National Women’s Council said women in domestic violence situations are faced with having to move 'from one emergency accommodation centre or refuge to another'

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Taoiseach Micheal Martin visit to Wexford

Taoiseach concedes housing shortfall but insists 50,000 homes a year is achievable

The Taoiseach said stronger investment conditions could drive housing supply higher, while confirming a St Patrick’s Day White House visit

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

calculator with the word rent

Rent reform: Tenants and landlords alike are let down by new residential tenancies bill

Labour's housing spokesman says the the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 will spook small landlords into leaving the market, while failing to protect tenants

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

December shows dip in homeless numbers amid 'worst year on record for rising homelessness'

December shows dip in homeless numbers amid 'worst year on record for rising homelessness'

The Dublin Simon Community said the decline is a trend seen in recent years largely driven by short-term accommodation being found for the Christmas period

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

Coronavirus - Mon Jan 18, 2021

Almost 17,000 people were homeless in Ireland over Christmas

Figures released by the Department of Housing show 11,546 adults and 5,188 children were homeless in December

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

Residents in Peter McVerry Trust housing enduring dampness, mould and rats

Residents in Peter McVerry Trust housing enduring dampness, mould and rats

Despite having undergone 'significant repairs' 10 years ago, a number of tenants said they are suffering with asthma, lung conditions, depression, and regular colds due to the environment they are living in

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026

FILE PHOTO Latest homeless figures show more than 8,800 people in emergency accommodation. END.

Gareth O'Callaghan: I knelt beside a sleeping bag and wondered whose son lay inside

Extreme cold exposes not just physical vulnerability, but society’s enduring failure to care for those who disappear onto our streets

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

Airbnb Website Ahead Of Earnings Figures

Paul Hosford: As homelessness rises, thousands of Irish homes sit vacant on short-term letting sites

With homelessness at record levels, Ireland must confront the reality of thousands of homes lying empty for tourism profit

Sun, 04 Jan, 2026

Up to 75% of short-term lets empty as homelessness nears 17,000, new figures show

Up to 75% of short-term lets empty as homelessness nears 17,000, new figures show

FOI documents show occupancy rates as low as 4% for short-term lets while homelessness figures continue to rise

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Tánaiste urged to withdraw 'dishonest and dangerous' homelessness comments

Tánaiste urged to withdraw 'dishonest and dangerous' homelessness comments

Simon Harris suggested that a 'significant number' of people in emergency accommodation 'don’t have a housing right in Ireland'

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

Casing the joint

Reoffending statistics show we are failing on crime

Tackling disadvantage and social exclusion is likely the most effective long-term strategy for addressing factors that lead to reoffending.

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

‘I finally have somewhere to retreat to’: Life after homelessness for Meath man Cian Murtagh

‘I finally have somewhere to retreat to’: Life after homelessness for Meath man Cian Murtagh

After years sleeping rough, Cian Murtagh is building stability, community and new traditions in a home of his own

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

ANNMAIRE DUFFY

Homelessness: Mother living in B&B with her family on housing list for 19 years

She has been left with no water for three months in their 'temporary accommodation' and at one stage there was one cooker between seven families because the other one was broken

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

Row over Limerick plans to develop modular rental properties

Row over Limerick plans to develop modular rental properties

Projected 2,000 units in Limerick City slashed to 150 as Government downgrades plan and cuts staff provision from six to two

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

Homelessness: Young mother forced to live in a mobile home after 50% rent rise

Homelessness: Young mother forced to live in a mobile home after 50% rent rise

Lone parent Michelle Ward was renting privately for nearly four years at a cost of €800 per month until her landlord put the rent up to €1,200

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

Two children on the floor read a book in a room with Christmas

Homelessness is now seen as an almost inevitable problem

Normalisation lowers our empathy, lowers expectations of government action, and allows inadequate systems to persist, writes Paul Hosford

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

shelter

Homelessness: 'My family has been moved from county to county for two years'

'You just try and keep your family together, and in the same school, but at one point we were in Drogheda and the kids’ school was in Blanchardstown'

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

Irish Examiner view: So this is Christmas and what have you done about homelessness?

Irish Examiner view: So this is Christmas and what have you done about homelessness?

Today's shocking but unsurprising 'Irish Examiner' report shows that 16,700 people are living in hotels, B&Bs, and other temporary accommodation

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

To solve the housing crisis, let builders get on with the job, says developer Michael O'Flynn

To solve the housing crisis, let builders get on with the job, says developer Michael O'Flynn

More viable zoned land, planning reform, and accelerated delivery of infrastructure are all part of the solution to the crisis

Sun, 21 Dec, 2025

Mother and son looking out of window

A national shame: Another Christmas for thousands in emergency accommodation

This year, more than 16,700 people will spend their Christmas in emergency accommodation, many of them children who have never lived in their own home

Sun, 21 Dec, 2025

Happy family on train station

Homeless hub needed for the 70% refused emergency accommodation in West Cork, says councillor

It comes after an FOI request from Deputy Holly Cairns’ office last month revealed that Cork County Council refused 563 people emergency accommodation in 2024

Sun, 21 Dec, 2025

Irish Economy As Latest Retail Figures Released

Paul Hosford: Government's failure to improve people's lives risks a disconnected electorate vulnerable to populism

Danger from failing to address issues, through legislation or the actual implementation of glossy plans, goes far deeper than not making childcare cheaper or housing more available

Sat, 20 Dec, 2025

Four Courts Building on the river Liffey in Dublin Ireland

Family living on side of road with no water or toilet claim Limerick council found them not homeless

The family can now challenge a decision by Limerick County Council which allegedly found that as they have a 'roof over their heads', they are not homeless

Mon, 08 Dec, 2025

Man accused of taking part in attack that left homeless man unconscious in Cork train station

Man accused of taking part in attack that left homeless man unconscious in Cork train station

The accused was refused bail

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Happy family on train station

Family homelessness in the South-West more than doubles in four years, says report

'Behind every percentage increase are children growing up in emergency accommodation, often for extended periods,' says Focus Ireland

Mon, 01 Dec, 2025

Rough sleepers at risk as charity highlights autistic girl left in tent during -2C temperatures

Rough sleepers at risk as charity highlights autistic girl left in tent during -2C temperatures

A Lending Hand says rough sleepers, including an autistic girl in a tent, cannot access emergency beds after nightfall despite new capacity

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025

NEWS

S Mick Clifford: A tale of two Alices who have lived lives full of warmth and compassion

Just as Alice Leahy has dedicated her time to improving lives removed from community, so Alice O’Shea has seen the benefits of living in the heart of one, giving and receiving kindness

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025

Sad evicted mother with child worried relocating house

Homeless children 'having their childhoods stolen a day at a time' in emergency accommodation

It comes as statistics published this week by the Residential Tenancies Board showed the number of termination notices being issued to tenants has surged

Fri, 28 Nov, 2025

Happy family on train station

Record 16,766 people now homeless as child and family numbers continue to rise

New Department of Housing figures show homelessness has climbed again, with more than 16,700 people in emergency accommodation heading into Christmas

Fri, 28 Nov, 2025

Women and children trapped between domestic violence and homelessness, report finds

Women and children trapped between domestic violence and homelessness, report finds

Surviors have to choose to stay with abuser or navigate the housing crisis, says National Women’s Council

Fri, 28 Nov, 2025

the notice of eviction of tenants hangs on the door of the house

Landlords issue 5,400 eviction notices as rent rules face fresh scrutiny

RTB data shows a sharp rise in termination notices but indicates rent caps continue to slow inflation for existing tenants

Thu, 27 Nov, 2025