THE NUMBER of people in homelessness in the Mid West has jumped yet again, with 619 people accessing emergency accommodation in September, including 269 children.
This compares to August when there were 601 people homeless in the region, including 250 children.
And the increase is even starker compared to September of last year, when there were 201 children living in emergency accommodation.
In Limerick in September, there were 543 people homeless, jumping to 601 last month – compared to 452 in September 2024.
- External Walls: Up to €8,000 Grant
- Attic: Up to €1,500 Grant
- Cavity Walls: Up to €1,700 Grant
- Internal Dry Lining: Up to €4,500 Grant
Of those homeless in the region last month, there were 163 families, including 102 lone parents. In August of this year, those figures were 153 and 95 respectively.
Nationally, there were 16,614 people without a roof of their own over their heads last month.
Labour’s housing spokesperson and Limerick TD Conor Sheehan said that the record-breaking homeless figures should shame the government into action.
“These are not just numbers – they represent families, children, and individuals whose lives are being torn apart by a housing system that is completely broken,” he said.
“We now have over 16,600 people in emergency accommodation, including more than 5,200 children. That’s 5,200 children without a place to call home, 5,200 children growing up in hotel rooms and family hubs, 5,200 children robbed of security, space, and stability.
“Every week that passes without action means more families being evicted, more children being forced into emergency accommodation, and more lives being pushed to breaking point”.
“We were told to expect a new, much-trumpeted housing plan in July – we’re now at the end of October and still being told it will be ‘a few weeks.”