Homelessness in Ireland

{{Short description|Social issue in Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=January 2017}}

Homelessness in Ireland is an evolving social issue. During the 19th century, homelessness was a pervasive impact of the Great Famine (1845–1852).{{cite news|url = http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/homelessness-crisis-families-on-streets-like-time-of-famine-312103.html | newspaper = Irish Examiner | title = Homelessness crisis: 'Families on streets like time of Famine' | date = 12 February 2015 }}{{citation | title = Remembering Homelessness and the Great Irish Famine | author = Niamh Ann Kelly | date = 2010 }} During the 20th century, homelessness in Ireland was associated with older males who may have had addiction or alcoholism issues. However, since the 1990s and into the 21st century, it has been recognised that the homeless population includes increasing numbers of women and children.Carlson, Helena. "Women and homelessness in Ireland." The Irish Journal of Psychology 11, no. 1 (1990): 68-76.{{cite news | url = http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/240-homeless-women-children-sought-safety-corks-edel-house-2016/2596757/ | title = 240 Homeless Women and Children Sought the Safety Of Cork's Edel House in 2016 | newspaper = Evening Echo | access-date = 24 January 2017 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161229151448/http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/240-homeless-women-children-sought-safety-corks-edel-house-2016/2596757/ | archive-date = 29 December 2016 }} Commentators have attributed the ongoing events (described in the news media as the 'homelessness crisis'){{cite news|url = http://www.irishexaminer.com/maintopics/homelessness-crisis-3920.html | newspaper = Irish Examiner | title = Main Topics - "Homelessness Crisis" | access-date = 24 January 2017}} to the post-2008 Irish economic downturn and 'subsequent fiscal adjustments',{{cite report | url = http://files.nesc.ie/nesc_reports/en/NESC_134_Social_Dimensions_Exec_Summary.pdf | publisher = National Economic and Social Council | date = 2013 | title = The Social Dimensions of the Crisis: The Evidence and its Implication | quote = "The economic crash of 2008 has had profound social impacts, exacerbated by the subsequent fiscal adjustment [..] there are now just under 100,000 people on local-authority housing waiting lists and nearly 4,000 homeless people" }}{{cite news|url = http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/housing-and-homeless-crisis-out-of-control-1.2320783 | newspaper = Irish Times | title = Housing and homeless crisis 'out of control' | date = 18 August 2015 }} and the parallel impacts of reduced familial incomes, mortgage arrears{{cite news|url = http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/homeless-problem-could-get-far-worse-says-peter-mcverry-1.2934495 | newspaper = Irish Times | date = 12 January 2017 | title = Homeless problem could get far worse, says Peter McVerry }} and rental increases which followed impacts to housing supply.{{cite web| url = http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/housing-supply-at-worst-level-for-50-years-as-prices-exceed-boomtime-levels-34872283.html | publisher= Independent News & Media | title = Housing supply at worst level for 50 years as prices exceed boomtime levels | date = 11 July 2016 }}{{cite news|url = http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/urgent-action-needed-to-tackle-rent-increases-charity-says-1.2334957 | newspaper = Irish Times | date = 31 August 2015 | title = Urgent action needed to tackle rent increases, charity says }}

In 2013, spokespersons of the Irish government stated that they would have "eradicated homelessness" in Ireland by 2016.{{cite web |url = http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/politics/homelessness-ireland-government-plans-stop-4311884 | date = 23 September 2014 | title = Homelessness in Ireland: Government plans to stop people sleeping rough by 2016 labelled unachievable| publisher = Irish Mirror }} However, this goal was not achieved. Rather, by 2017, the issue and prevalence of homelessness had increased,{{cite web|url = http://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/irish-soup-kitchens-plan-expansion-as-homelessness-crisis-worsens | publisher = Irish Central | title = Irish soup kitchens plan expansion as homelessness crisis worsens | date = 5 January 2017 }} with the number of homeless people in Ireland rising by 25% between September 2016 and September 2017.{{cite web|url = https://www.focusireland.ie/resource-hub/latest-figures-homelessness-ireland/ | publisher = Focus Ireland | title = Latest Figures on Homelessness in Ireland | archive-date = 14 November 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171114180844/https://www.focusireland.ie/resource-hub/latest-figures-homelessness-ireland/ }} Figures published during 2016 and early 2017 indicated that there were then 4,377 people living in emergency accommodation, the highest figure seen in Ireland to that date.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/homeless-ireland-2-3086162-Dec2016/|title=The vow to end homelessness by Christmas? Not going to happen|last=Fitzgerald|first=Cormac|newspaper=TheJournal.ie|access-date=1 December 2016}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/homeless-crisis-62-extra-emergency-beds-to-be-available-in-dublin-1.2889347|title=Homeless crisis: 62 extra emergency beds to be available in Dublin|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en-US|access-date=1 December 2016}} By mid-2019 this had increased further, with figures indicating that more than 10,000 people were homeless in Ireland, with approximately one-third of these being children.{{cite news|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/homeless-figures-hit-record-high-921080.html | newspaper= Irish Examiner | title = Homeless figures hit record high | date = 30 April 2019 | access-date = 5 July 2019 }}{{cite web|url = https://www.thejournal.ie/homelessness-homeless-housing-eoghan-murphy-4792178-Sep2019/ | publisher = Journal Media | website = thejournal.ie | title = Homelessness figures above 10,000 for sixth month in a row | date = 2 September 2019 | access-date = 5 September 2019 }} As of February 2021, there were reportedly 8,313 homeless people in Ireland (of which 5,987 were adults and 2,326 children).{{cite web|url = https://www.thejournal.ie/homeless-figures-january-2021-5366536-Feb2021/ | publisher = Journal Media Ltd | website = thejournal.ie | title = Progress made in reducing homeless figures at start of pandemic now being eroded, charities say | date = 26 February 2021 | accessdate = 13 April 2021 }} In 2021, 115 homeless people died in Dublin.{{cite news |last1=Moloney |first1=Eoghan |last2=McCullagh |first2=Tony |title=115 homeless people died in Dublin last year, new figures show |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/115-homeless-people-died-in-dublin-last-year-new-figures-show-41569013.html |access-date=20 April 2022 |work=Irish Independent |language=en}}

A "Homelessness Report" by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in November 2016 indicated that while there were hundreds of homeless families and individuals in other regions, the issue was most prevalent in the Dublin area.{{cite report|url = http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_november_2016.pdf | publisher = Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government | title = Homelessness Report November 2016 | date = November 2016}} As of February 2021, approximately 70% of homeless people were in Dublin.

Youth homelessness is often defined as a separate issue to homelessness. Though the issue was not recognized by government until the late 1980s, since the mid-1960s youth homelessness was gradually articulated as a form of homelessness different from that experienced by adults.O’Sullivan, Eoin, and Paula Mayock. "Youth Homelessness in Ireland." Youth Studies Ireland (2008): 15.