A survey done for the Government has found that the total homeless population in Dublin stands at 2,015.
The figure is made up of 1,361 households, including 1,552 adults and 463 child dependents.
At the publication of the report today, Minister for Housing Noel Ahern said that even taking into account the methodological adjustments to the 2005 survey, he noted there had been a "significant reduction in the number of households reporting as homeless between 2002 and 2005".
The Counted in 2005survey, undertaken for the Homeless Agency every three years, was conducted late in March 2005.
The research shows a 33 per cent decrease in the numbers of rough sleepers from 1999 to 2005. In 1999, 275 people were reported as sleeping rough, but this figure had dropped to 185 in 2005.
Mr Ahern said: "This appears to confirm that the significant expansion of outreach teams and emergency accommodation services in recent years along with the introduction of the Dublin City Nightbus is having an important impact in terms of reducing the numbers of people sleeping rough."
Focus Ireland welcomed the report and in particular the reduction in the number of people reported to be sleeping rough. However, the chief executive Declan Jones warned there was no room for complacency.
"While the reduction in rough sleeping shows real progress has been made there is no room for complacency - the survey provides a snapshot during one week over a year ago and the picture can change from week to week," he said.
"The real measure of success cannot simply be whether we are moving people off the streets but whether people are able to move on to long term, safe and affordable housing which they can make their home."
Dublin Simon Community spokeswoman Noeleen Hartigan warned of the low decrease in the numbers of people using homeless services and the length of time people are remaining homeless.
"People who should be in their own homes are living in 'emergency accommodation' because they cannot access secure housing; providing proper housing solutions for people is both a more humane approach to social policy and more cost effective for the State than having people living in hostels and B&Bs," she said.
