The number of people experiencing homelessness across Ireland has increased in the month of July.

Approximately 10,492 adults and children were in emergency accommodation according to the latest report from the Department of Housing. The number of children officially classified as homeless increased by 43 to 3,071.

Commenting on the latest figures, Sinn Féin representative Eoin Ó Broin said: "The Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien is asleep at the wheel as homeless numbers surge upwards.

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"I have been calling for a number of months for an emergency response. Unfortunately the Minister is not listening.

"Social housing is way behind schedule. The private rental sector is shrinking. 

"Not a single emergency measure commensurate with the scale of the homeless crisis has been introduced to date. 

"We need an emergency ban on evictions into homelessness. We need an acceleration of social housing output. 

"We need the deployment of high quality modular homes to get people out of emergency accommodation. 

"We need a dramatic increase in the purchase of properties where HAP or RAS tenants have notices to quit. 

"If the Minister doesn't act in the days and weeks ahead, this crisis will continue to get worse."