The Green Party has described the latest homeless figures as "shocking" and accused Fine Gael of having no interest in solving the crisis throughout Ireland.

The party's housing spokesperson, Ossian Smyth, said: "Month on month, year on year, the numbers of people homeless and in emergency accommodation is rising. The number of homeless children has quintupled in less than 4 years, and 488 children became homeless last month. That is a scandal. That is a disgrace. Fine Gael will not solve the housing and homelessness crisis, because they can't see that their strategy isn’t working. The market is not, and will not solve the crisis. The Government need to build homes, directly. Fine Gael, it seems to me, don't have the inclination, interest, or ability to solve the homelessness crisis."

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Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin, said the government have abandoned a generation to homelessness.

She said: "Children are not passive spectators but are deeply affected by the impact of homelessness. Emergency accommodation deprives children of the right to achieve their full potential and compromises their ability to grow and develop. Children's education is compromised, their ability to play is reduced and their physical and emotional well-being is damaged. The crisis in child homelessness in this country is a fundamental human rights issue."

(CD/LM)