Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has been slammed for publishing "meaningless" homeless figures for August.

The Minister told the Housing Committee that an additional 741 people have been removed from the official figures over the past few months.

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin hit out at the Minister, saying: "The August homeless figures published this afternoon show a decrease of 364 people, 190 adults and 174 children, in emergency accommodation.

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"These figures are meaningless as the Minister for Housing confirmed today in Committee that 741 people have been culled from the official figures over the past few months.



"The Minister couldn't tell the Committee when these people were removed. Nor could he justify their removal.

"There is no evidence these adults and children have exited homelessness.  

"This means that we do not know if homelessness has increased or decreased.

"This is nothing short of political interference in the official figures.

"In total 1,606 adults and children have been removed from the homeless figures by the Minister since the start of the year. This is not acceptable.

"It is time for responsibility for the publication of Homeless figures to be taken away from the Department of Housing and given to the CSO.

"I will be requesting that the Housing Committee have an urgent meeting on this issue."

(CM)