There were over 2,700 homeless children in Ireland in May

There were 2,777 children living in emergency accommodation in Ireland in May.

That's according to new figures from the Department of Housing, which showed that there were 1,312 families homeless across the country between May 22 and 28. The vast majority of those affected were in Dublin - 2,266 children, in 1,099 families were in emergency accommodation there. There was a 2.5 per cent rise in child homelessness month-0n-month from April, when 2,708 children were living in emergency accommodation.

“These figures also do not reflect the number of ‘hidden homeless’ families who do not appear on the official register," June Tinsley of Barnardos told the Irish Times.

“Thousands of families in Ireland are living in overcrowded, substandard or unsafe accommodation because they have no other options.”