Focus Ireland and its partners have moved 80 families with 150 children out of homelessness since the start of the COVID-19 restrictions, while the Peter McVerry Trust has housed 26 people since the virus struck and expects more to move soon.

Depaul saw a particularly large increase in families accessing its services in both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“Working to address your issues from a stable home with the help of a highly skilled, professional multi-disciplinary team is much more successful than trying to do so from a congregated setting like emergency homeless accommodation or living rough on the streets.”

Emergency accommodation is more expensive and less effective than Housing First which receives less than 1% of the national annual homeless budget in Ireland. In other countries up to 50% of the homeless services budget must be invested in the Housing First model.

The annual Black Santa Sit Out, which raises up to €50,000 for charity, was launched on Wednesday by Archbishop Michael Jackson and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Focus Ireland warned that these two new sets of figures clearly show that the homeless crisis is continuing to deepen with less than five weeks to Christmas.

Thousands of homeless children have become the norm and no longer shocks us. We have lost our sense of outrage,” - Fr Peter McVerry.

“It is also the most serious social issue which Ireland faces today. With the right political will, it can be solved. We will continue to advocate on behalf of homeless people to seek to get the issue of homelessness and housing to the top of the Government’s agenda.” – Peter Mc Verry.

Peter McVerry Trust calls for “decisive action” by the Government to stem the flow of people into homelessness.