The government's housing strategy has been described as "totally inadequate".

Sinn Féin Louth TD Gerry Adams said Budget 2018 will provide "not one single additional social housing unit beyond the Rebuilding Ireland targets that were set months ago".

He said: "The number of homeless citizens has dramatically increased in the last year in Louth. In August 2016 there were 80 people homeless in the North East. This August that number has increased to 125.

"According to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government homelessness reports the number of homeless families has also substantially increased in the North East from 6 in 2016 to 17 this August.

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"A worrying trend has been the increase in the number of dependents or children in these families who are homeless. In August 2016 there were 12 dependents.

"This August there are four times that number at 48. In Budget 2018 the government has set itself the target of building 3,800 social homes in 2018. But this number was already announced last month by the Minister. So in reality there is no new build social units.

"When you add together the projected number of new build with other homes to be acquired the total social housing units being claimed by the government for 2018 is 5,900. This is just 31 units more than was set by the government last year.

"The government needs to build more social and affordable homes. That is what Sinn Féin would do."

(CD)