By now, there likely isn’t a soul in the entire country who hasn’t heard about or witnessed the homelessness crisis on our streets, and the latest Government statistics have really brought the issue home.
According to figures released by the Department of the Environment this week, the number of homeless children in the Republic of Ireland practically doubled in the space of a year, in 2015.
The statistics revealed that the number of homeless children in the State went from 865 (from 401 families) in January 2015, to 1,709 (from 813 families) in November 2015.
The highest figures were in Dublin – although Cork City also showed an alarming rise – and it was lone-parent families which were most affected. Indeed, the statistics showed that a staggering 58% of those children left homeless that December were in lone-parent families.
If there was ever a time for strong reaction, leadership and response to this ever-growing problem, it is now – particularly after a United Nations Committee last week admitted it was “deeply concerned” over this country’s child poverty issue.
Share if you want to see an appropriate Government response to these shocking new statistics.
