Labour has condemned the government's housing policy after it was revealed that almost 4,000 children are homeless across the country.

The March homelessness figures show 3,821 children without a home, an increase of 37 on February.

"Another month shows the inexorable rise in the number of homeless children in Ireland, a shocking indictment of the failure of Rebuilding Ireland," said Labour's Housing spokesperson Jan O'Sullivan TD. "It's time now for Fine Gael to take responsibility for the abject failure of their housing policy.

"In the last two months we've seen the figures of homeless children increase by nearly 200. The problem is getting worse. There appears to be no end in sight, and three years into this government the volume of social housing that is needed has not been delivered, nor is there any sign of it coming."

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Deputy O'Sullivan has also called on Fine Gael to take the "most effective action" by stopping eviction notices and rent hikes in the private sector.

She added: "With every month that passes we wait for legislative action from the Minister but his proposals amount to tinkering at the edges. On behalf of the Labour Party, I have repeatedly called for the loopholes to be closed that are allowing landlords to end tenancies for spurious reasons like refurbishment, sale, a family member moving in etc… very frequently this never happens and, in the case of sale, there should be no requirement for vacant possession and this should be banned in law.

"Rent pressure zone limits are also being breached and a rent register that would allow a new tenant to know what the previous rent was is urgently needed as well as extending rent control to the whole country as homelessness grows outside of Dublin. Minister Murphy has promised the delivery of the rent register on numerous occasions but it has yet to be delivered.

"I am calling on Minister Murphy to take these measures now to stop the horror of homelessness that so many families and individuals dread. This is an emergency and requires emergency action."

(CM/JG)