Some homeless families have difficulty accessing emergency accommodation, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil.

She said last month almost 4,000 people across the State were in such accommodation, including 1,000 families and more than 2,000 children.

Ms McDonald said there was a crisis in the management of homelessness.

“It is not simply that families are in emergency accommodation, which is scandalous in itself, but in fact now the pressure is such, and the crisis so deep, that families cannot access it,’’ she added.

Ms McDonald said an 18-year-old woman had presented herself as homeless to her local council with her partner and four-month-old daughter. The council had refused to accept she was genuinely in need of emergency accommodation and she was turned away.

At 4.30pm and 9pm, she was told there was no emergency accommodation available.

“Eventually, at 12.30am, while standing outside Heuston Station, shivering and holding her infant child, she was collected by the rough sleepers and brought to a hostel,’’ Ms McDonald said.

Rough sleepers

She said the family was just one of 10 turned away by authorities on that day, only to be accommodated later through the rough sleepers team.

“The last of the families was not accommodated until 1.30am,’’ Ms McDonald said.

She said the young woman and her family had returned on Wednesday to her local council, only to be turned away again.

“As I speak, this young woman yet again is on her way back to her local authority not knowing where she and her family will sleep tonight,’’ she said.

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald said it was not tolerable that the young woman and her family were living in emergency accommodation or having difficulty in accessing it.

“That is why the housing committee was established before all others and did its work and made its report,’’ she said.

Ms Fitzgerald said there was a Cabinet Minister with responsibility for housing, planning and local government and a reformed department to take on the challenges involved.

The action plan for housing would address the issue of homelessness, she added.

“Local authorities are being given greater scope to respond more quickly to the kind of situation the Deputy has described,’’ the Tánaiste added.