The number of people officially registered as homeless in Louth, Monaghan and Cavan has almost tripled in one year, new figures have revealed.

In the latest March homelessness report 156 people were listed as homeless in the region, an increase of 113 from March 2018's numbers.

Local Sinn Féin TD Gerry Adams has hit out at the figures, criticising the impact of the government's Rebuilding Ireland Strategy.

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He said: "Clearly the government's housing strategy – Rebuilding Ireland – is not working. In the last eight years there has been a 490 per cent increase in the number of homeless children in the state. Since 2016 family homelessness has increased by forty per cent. Pensioner homelessness has also witnessed a dramatic increase of eighty per cent.

"There needs to be a radical change of direction by government of its housing policy. It is not working. On May 18th the state wide Raise The Roof demonstration in Dublin presents an important opportunity to demonstrate public anger as the housing scandal in this state."

(CM/JG)