THE number of people experiencing homelessness in Limerick has more than doubled in the past five years, mirroring nationwide trends of record rising homelessness.
That’s according to figures by the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government, which show 515 people experiencing homelessness across Limerick during the month of March this year.
Figures released this week by the Department of Housing show that 505 adults accessed local authority-managed emergency accommodation during the week of May 19 to 25 this year, just 10 shy of the 515 peak.
The grim figures stand more than double what they were in same period five years ago in May 2020, when 242 people were listed as homeless across Limerick city and county at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The wider Mid West currently has the third highest rate of homelessness across the country, behind Dublin and the South-West – with a total of 587 homeless throughout Limerick and Clare last month.
The report also highlighted the stark figure of 233 children across the wider Mid West in May.
According to the Department of Housing figures, homelessness on Shannonside has been increasing steadily over the past half decade, with 300 reported as experiencing homelessness in Limerick in May 2022, rising to 336 in May 336, and 410 in May 2024.
Figures hit the 500 mark in February this year, when 505 were reported as experiencing homelessness.
The number of homeless families in the Mid West has also continued to rise – with 145 families across Limerick and Clare listed last month as being without a home, compared to 55 in May 2020, and just 30 in December 2020.
Reacting to the news, Labour’s housing spokesperson and Limerick TD Conor Sheehan slammed the government’s “failure” to address Ireland’s worsening homelessness crisis.
More than 15,747 people, including 4,844 children, are now in emergency accommodation across the entire country.
“For the almost 4,844 children trapped in homelessness, this is a crisis that will shape the rest of their lives. They are living day to day in a state of constant stress and insecurity, missing out on the basic stability every child deserves. This government has normalised child homelessness. That this is happening in a country with an €8billion surplus is nothing short of shameful,” Deputy Sheehan said.
“This is not just a political failure – it is a moral one. Labour has been fighting for years to see our Homeless Families Bill enacted. The Bill would prioritise children’s rights when it comes to families vulnerable to eviction.
“Far from radical, it has cross-party support and has passed pre-legislative scrutiny. Focus Ireland supports it. But this government – and the one before it – simply haven’t bothered to act. They have the tools. They just won’t use them.”
