Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has urged the Government to introduce an emergency response aimed at ending long-term homelessness. The Dublin Mid West TD made the appeal following the latest monthly report on homelessness, which he says shows continued increases under the current administration, including sharp rises in child and family homelessness.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "James Browne was appointed Minister for Housing in January 2025. Since then homelessness has increased by 11%. Child homelessness has surged by 23% and family homelessness by 26%. There are more people living in Department of Housing funded emergency accommodation than ever before.

Ó Broin, said: "The latest monthly homeless report published last week saw yet another increase in the number of adults, children and families trapped in cramped and unsuitable homeless accommodation. In July there were 17,527 people, including 5,659 children officially recorded as homeless. "The Government must introduce an emergency plan to end homelessness. This will require a significant increase in funding for social housing in Budget 2027, alongside a package of emergency measures to reduce the number of people becoming homelessness and getting those trapped in emergency accommodation out more quickly.

"Sinn Féin has set out time and again what such an emergency plan would look like. In May we published a 12 point action plan to end long term homelessness by 2030, the detail of which you can read here: Sinn Féin launches 12-point emergency homeless plan as homeless numbers continue to rise.

"Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have signed up to the Lisbon Declaration to end long term homelessness by 2030. Sinn Féin believes that this can still be achieved. But only with radical policy change and increased investment in public housing. Otherwise the homeless crisis will continue to deepen."

He argued that an emergency package should both prevent people from entering homelessness and speed up exits from emergency accommodation, while significantly expanding public housing through Budget 2027. He also referenced Sinn Féin's previously published 12-point plan and said the Government's commitments under the Lisbon Declaration require urgent and radical action to be met by 2030.