Over 2,000 children are living in homeless accommodation in Dublin, according to new figures.

The data, released by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, revealed a total of 2,020 children are homeless.

Sinn Féin TD and Children and Youth Affairs spokesperson, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said the figures are very "worrying".

He said: "The figures for July of this year are almost a 100% increase on what they were in the same month of last year. What number of children do we need to reach before the Government treats this as the crisis that it truly is?

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"Just last month the Simon Community in my own city, and the Minister's home constituency, of Cork reported an 800% increase in rough sleepers over a five year period. A society should always be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable citizens; and using that metric, this government must hang its head in shame.

"The Government's action plan, while it contains some welcome measures, does not go nearly far enough, and will not be enough to deal with the Housing crisis. Right now there is very little comfort for those who lie on our streets watching the months pass them by, nor the children that sleep in homeless accommodation or cramped hotel rooms night after night."

(CD/JP)