Almost 70 percent of homeless families in Dublin are coming from two areas in the west of the capital, with 40 percent of families displaced coming from the constituency represented by Tánaiste Joan Burton.
A new report from Focus Ireland has shown that two-thirds of homeless children in Dublin are now aged eight or younger – with the 636 schoolchildren travelling on average 8.75km from their emergency accommodation to school each morning.
The report, which surveyed 307 families who had been referred to Focus Ireland but had not yet been allocated a case worker in November 2015, included 636 children.
According to the Irish Times, 118 families came from Blanchardstown/ Mulhuddart (represented by both Tánaiste Joan Burton and Health Minister Leo Varadkar), with a further 89 families affected from the Ballymun/ Finglas area.
Of the remaining families documented in the report, 40 came from Lucan/ Clondalkin, 34 from Drumcondra/ Donnycarney and 33 from Crumlin/ Drimnagh.
Of the 636 schoolchildren, 244 were aged four years or younger, while a 155 were aged between five and eight. A further 117 were between the ages of nine and 12.
According to Focus Ireland, the report has seen an 87 per cent increase in homeless children in Dublin over a one year period.
