Number of homeless in Dublin rises by almost 700

Taxpayers paid a record €7.1m in the first three months of this year to house homeless adults and children in Dublin, compared to €5.3m for all of 2014.

The Sunday Independent has learned that almost half of this bill went to providing short-term housing for 712 families, including 159 newly presenting families in private hotels, apartments and B&Bs at the going commercial rate.

While Dublin City Council paid out €1.6m to house 500 families with more than 1,000 children in temporary private emergency accommodation.

The vast bill comes as the overall number of adults seeking emergency accommodation has increased by 681 with more families at risk of homelessness due to the growing accommodation crisis.