DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL spent more than €47 million on hotel accommodation for homeless families last year.
Financial data released by the Department of Housing shows a total spent of €124 million on homeless service in Dublin last year, with €97 million of that money going towards emergency accommodation.
On top of the €47 million paid to hotels, a further €12 million was spent on private emergency accomodation, which includes family hubs.
Kerry and Cork county councils spent €403,000 and €654,000 respectively on B&B accommodation for homeless families, though both had initial estimates at the start of the year of €100,000.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie Sinn Féin TD Eoin O Broin said too much money is being invested in emergency accommodation, especially commercial hotels and B&Bs.
“Just €4.8 million of the total €124 million spent on homeless services in Dublin in 2017 went to prevention. This is less than 4% of the total and demonstrates the extent to which the homeless crisis has spiralled out of control,” he said.
In fact the number of adults and children in hotels since Eoghan Murphy has become Minister has increased and this inspire the increase in the number of family hub beds.
An additional 488 children became homeless in Ireland last month, bringing the total number of families in emergency accomodation now to over 1,700. The total number of homeless children is 3,755.
“The government need to increase investment in prevention and tenancy sustainment and provide stronger protections for tenants at risk of homelessness if they are to get a handle on this crisis,” O’Broin said.
“If a family gets a notice to quit that is two months away and they go to their local authority office they are told to come back when it expires.
“There is new legislation in Britain which says there is an obligation on local authorities to work with families 56 days out from when they will become homeless – here it is from the day they lose the roof over their heads.
“There is nothing available until after it happens.”
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