Citizens Information Service handles 260 housing queries every day

An average of 260 housing-related queries were put to the Citizens Information Service every day last year.

Questions about housing were up by more than a quarter, but almost half of all contacts related to social welfare.

One in six adults living in Ireland - more than 600,000 people - contacted the service in 2016, with 80% of people contacting the service in person.

Manager with Citizens Information in north county Dublin Andrew McCann said: "The housing queries were in relation to homelessness, rent supplement and landlord-tenant issues."

Over one in six of the queries relating to social welfare payments were made about families and children, including family income supplement, one-parent family allowance, child benefit or back to school clothing or footwear for example.

Speaking at the launch of the report today, Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy said that the huge numbers of enquiries received highlighted how inaccessible and impenetrable many public services are.

“What stands out in this report is just how impenetrable our structures and systems are,” Sr. Stan said.

“This impenetrability is causing daily anguish to people who are simply trying to deal with everyday life events – accessing a public service like healthcare or adult education, dealing with bereavement or managing their finances," she added.