Social Democrats has labelled Ireland's latest homelessness statistics as a 'shameless milestone' after figures exceeded 15,000 for the first time in the State's history.

The party's Dublin North-West representative, TD Rory Hearne, placed blame on the previous government's handling of the issue.

Deputy Hearne said: "When the previous government was formed in June 2020, there were 8,699 people in homeless emergency accommodation, 2,653 of them children.

"As the country went to the polls at the end of November, there were 15,199 people living in homeless emergency accommodation.

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"Shockingly, 4,658 of these are children – a 76 percent increase in a single term of office.

"We do not live in a country that lacks the resources to deal with this crisis. A single child becoming homeless is unacceptable during successive years of budget surpluses. However, having thousands of homeless children is incomprehensible and scandalous."

Discussing protective measures from homelessness, Deputy Hearne suggested a ban on no-fault evictions should be immediately introduced so that individuals and families paying their rent can stay in their homes.

He also stated that the next government needs to take a radically different approach to housing, "one that abandons sweetheart deals for vulture funds and developers and instead focuses on ramping up the delivery of social and genuinely affordable homes."

Hearne continued: "Having more than 15,000 people homeless is a grim milestone and a damning indictment of failed housing policy by successive governments.

"The Social Democrats will not turn our backs on those suffering because of the housing crisis."