Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Dublin report soaring rates of homeless children and families

Almost 50 children were homeless in Cork in early October, while the bill to house homeless families in the city was more than €25,000 in September alone.

Figures from Cork City Council have revealed that 23 families with 49 children lived in emergency accommodation in the first two weeks of October, compared to 14 families with 29 children in the same period in January.

The council stated, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, that it spent €10,804 in January on temporary shelter for homeless families. However, that figure jumped to €25,156 in September.