Sinn Féin is urging the government to invest in building new homes after raising concerns at the number of people on housing waiting lists for the Dublin Bay North area.

Dublin City Councillor Denise Mitchell said she was shocked to hear that there are now 5,481 applicants on the housing waiting list for the Dublin North Bay area, with 346 of those being homeless and living in emergency accommodation.

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She said: "These figures are an indication that more and more people are struggling to find their own accommodation and are relying on Dublin City Council to provide them with a home.

"Unfortunately the council are not in a position to provide people with homes due to the lack of funding coming from central government for house building, but also the huge drain on resources that emergency accommodation has become.

"Minister Alan Kelly has not lived up to his commitments and we were advised at last night's council meeting that no funds have been transferred to Dublin City Council this year for emergency accommodation as was promised.

"The Council cannot continue to operate under a system of false promises from the department. We need a serious investment in the construction of homes."

(CD/MH)