Focus Ireland is calling on the Government to take action to stop the rise in the number of homeless families.

The charity said if the issue is not addressed it will spiral further out of control.

Focus Ireland has recommended that the allocation of the new emergency accommodation should be based on ensuring that families are able to keep their children in the local schools they have been attending since before they lost their homes.

Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy Mike Allen said: "School is one of the few elements of security in the lives of these children when their family become homeless, and that is why parents have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep their children in the same school, even if this means crossing town each morning. Allocation of the new emergency units should recognise the fundamental reality for families.

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"However, we must not lose sight of the fact that to tackle the emergency situation in homelessness the Government must do all it can to cut the numbers who end up in that situation. The current pace of Government response, while welcome, is totally out of proportion to the scale of the problem that we are facing. More urgent action to cut the numbers becoming homeless every month would take massive pressure off a homeless services emergency accommodation system that is close to breaking point."

(CD/LM)