PROSTITUTION is the "darkest secret" of many homeless children, an Eastern Health Board representative has told an Oireachtas committee.
Mr Paul Harrison, the board's director of child care and family support services, told the Joint Committee on the Family there were 400 new children "on the street" each year.
He said many homeless children become involved in prostitution. The numbers were hard to quantify, but it was one of the "greatest problems" the children faced.
Father Peter McVerry, the Jesuit campaigner for homeless youths, said the number of homeless young people with a drug problem was growing and accommodation services for them were "virtually nil."
There were six emergency beds available in Dublin for homeless children each night. On some nights, especially at weekends, 30 children sought emergency accommodation.
If there were no beds, they had to sleep rough or be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation. An expansion of emergency accommodation was needed so that "no children need sleep rough on the streets any day of the week".
Mr Harrison said that more than 70 children presented to the night emergency service each month and there had been a 150 per cent increase in calls referred to the service this year.
Fifty five per cent of children presenting to the board as out of home had a history of care, he said. There was "a message there for us," because if remedial care could be offered there would be an opportunity to reduce the number of children out of home by 55 per cent, he said.
Fr McVerry said a "one stop" shop for homeless children in the areas they came from was needed. Such a facility should provide a full range of services from emergency to long term accommodation.
Mr Harrison agreed that dealing with homeless children in their local areas was an effective approach. He said there were good examples of such schemes in Tallaght, Ballymun and the north inner city.
Mr Michael Bruton, the chief executive of Focus Point, said the life of children on the streets was a "fast track to exploitation and criminal behaviour". Focus Point was also seriously concerned about children under 12 smoking heroin.
Ms Orla Barry said the Focus Point outreach street work team in Dublin city centre met 485 "unattached young people" on the streets in 1995.
These young people were "highly at risk" of becoming involved in crime, drug misuse or prostitution, and of health problems.
There was a need for general medical care for young homeless people, particularly those under 25 who were having "huge difficulties" in getting such treatment.
Mr Bruton said the organisation was paying £40 to £60 per week for doctors to treat children who were "literally falling apart".
Mr Eamon Walsh (Labour) and Mr Chris Flood (Fianna Fail) expressed concern that a "crisis situation" regarding youth homelessness was looming.