130 families living in hotels due to lack of homeless accommodation

About 40% of people accessing homeless services in Dublin did so for the first time last year.

A total of 4,613 people living on the streets in the city looked for help in 2013. Of the 4,613 total, 1,958 were newly homeless.

The figures were presented to the council by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

The number of families put up in hotels because no other accommodation was available was described as reaching "chronic proportions".

Some 130 families are currently living in hotels but rising rents and a lack of housing in Dublin means this figure could increase.

Last year, 793 people moved into rented accommodation, down from 879 in 2012.