The Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Connell, has described as "alarming" the fact that as many 5,500 people in Dublin are homeless.
Cardinal Connell was presenting the annual report for 2002 of Crosscare, the social care agency of the Dublin archdiocese.
He said: "The rise in homelessness is alarming. The waiting list for local authority housing are so long, that for many, having a place to call their own remains but a distant possibiliy."
The report showed the agency doubled its night shelter capacity in 2002 due to an increase in demand and was providing over 100,000 meals annually from its centres in Dublin.
Cardinal Connell said it was a shame that so many of our people must depend on bed and breakfasts, shelters and emergency hostels.
He said he had asked the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, "not to hurt the poor with cutbacks".
"Therefore the necessary cuts in Government spending, caused by an estimated €500 million budget deficit this year, should be chosen in a way that will favour the poor," he said.
