The number of people in emergency accommodation in Ireland rose to 9,724 last month, according to the latest homeless figures from the Department of Housing.
It represents a slight rise of 26 people who had to access emergency accommodation in October when compared to the previous month.
3,725 children reported as homeless over the course of the month, while the number of families accessing emergency accommodation dropped to 1,709.
NEW: Homeless figures for October. 26 more people in emergency accommodation. 44 less families and 104 less children that September numbers - but still 3,725 children in emergency accommodation in Ireland pic.twitter.com/fDXHDxCCKx
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) November 29, 2018
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy acknowledged there's still too many children and families impacted by the housing crisis, but suggests the figures show "important progress for these families".
However, Anthony Flynn from Inner City Helping Homeless disagrees.
He observed: "When the minister says that it's important progress, what we're forgetting is that 1,600 people have been removed from the homeless list and are still under Section 10 funding through the minister's re-categorisation project.
"The minister can't stand independently over these figures - the Central Statistics Office should be moved in now, and we should be looking at somebody to come in and independently review these figures."
Earlier this year, the Department of Housing confirmed that 1,606 people were removed from its official homeless figures following three ‘re-categorisations’.
