Homelessness

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#Homelessness

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne speaking to the media at a press conference on the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, at the Government Buildings in Dublin. Picture date: Wednesday January 21, 2026.</p>

comment-analysis

Tadgh McNally: Will James Browne's reforms deliver on housing?

Housing minister must find solutions to the decade-long crisis — solutions that previously eluded his predecessors Simon Coveney, Eoghan Murphy, Darragh O’Brien

<p>Dr Enda Barron, GP and clinical lead with the Safetynet Homeless Primary Care team, inside the organisation’s mobile medical clinic outside The Lighthouse Café in Dublin. Pictures: Chani Anderson</p>

spotlight

Inside Safetynet Primary Care: The mobile GP service transforming homeless healthcare

<p>'It remains to be seen if the small decrease in last month’s numbers is the beginning of a more positive trend, and if that trend emerges, it will be extremely important that the particular measures that are driving it are captured and replicated across the country.'</p>

news

Homeless figures still at 'deeply alarming level' despite slight fall in numbers, charities warn

Happy family on train station

news

New social housing law will 'add to Ireland's escalating homeless crisis', say housing bodies

Paul Hosford: Eviction ban back on agenda as homelessness crisis becomes impossible to ignore

Tenancy Agreement

politics

Government urged to keep eviction ban option open to tackle homelessness

Richmond Village housing development

Report urges social housing rate review and appeals system overhaul

Oireachtas committee report to be published on Thursday and expected to be critical of Government action on homelessness

Wed, 17 Jun, 2026

Unrecognizable couple arriving at the accommodation with their suitcases

ieExplains: How will restricting Airbnb-style short-term lets affect housing supply?

Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025 proposes to curtail Airbnb-style short-term lets to free up properties that could be rented by people living in an area rather than tourists

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026

TASKFORCE REPORT

Government to restrict access to homeless services under new residency rules

Plans will introduce lawful and habitual residency tests for access, with a limited safety net of emergency accommodation available in strictly defined circumstances

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Happy family on train station

Homelessness crisis will remain a challenge for years, admits minister

Housing minister says rising population continues to outpace supply despite increased delivery of homes nationwide

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

IRELAND-ECONOMY-POLITICS-REAL ESTATE-HOUSING

Special report: Faces of homelessness have been changing over the last decade

The near total wipeout of social housing following the financial crash is at the root of the 'HAP trap' cost

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026

Happy family on train station

Homeless figures hit new record as 17,548 people live in emergency accommodation

Housing charities warn of mounting pressure on renters as homelessness figures continue to rise nationwide

Fri, 29 May, 2026

Merchant's Quay Ireland injection facility granted retention permission by An Coimisiún Pleanála

Merchant's Quay Ireland injection facility granted retention permission by An Coimisiún Pleanála

The facility must now obtain a renewal of its licence from the Department of Health in order to continue operation

Thu, 21 May, 2026

Property To Let, London.

Notices to quit surge by 51% before rental law changes took effect

A sharp rise in eviction notices was recorded before controversial tenancy reforms came into effect at the end of March

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Homeless figures

Planning regulation uncertainty fuels criticism of short-term let register delay

The register was due to be introduced by May 20, but on Wednesday the government confirmed it will come into effect from December 1

Wed, 13 May, 2026

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

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

Sun, 10 May, 2026

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

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

Social Democrats councillor Isobel Towse has called for a family resource centre for the town to provide support to its 'disadvantaged' residents

Sat, 09 May, 2026

Upset depressed young woman lying on couch feeling strong headache

Homeless figures don't count all those without housing

Our definition of homelessness leaves out many single adults who are sleeping in cars, couch-surfing or leaving prison or hospital without a home, writes Dermot Kavanagh of Cork Simon

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

Man lying on sofa with feet up on armrest

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

Cork Simon spokesperson said: 'The man living in a broken-down car may never be encountered during a street count. The woman moving between the sofas of friends and family does not appear in any official figure'

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

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

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

The floor of one apartment at an accommodation centre in Cork was found to be in 'such a state of disrepair' that it prevented the door from opening, causing a serious fire-safety issue.

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Housing stock

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

New analysis of first Free State census shows enduring housing pressures around supply, affordability, overcrowding, and regional inequality

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

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