The number of homeless families in Dublin has jumped by 106% in the last 12 months, according to the latest figures from the Dublin Simon Community.

The agency, which launches its annual review today, is one of several homeless groups planning to demonstrate outside the Dáil this evening.

The number of children in emergency accommodation in the capital is up by 99%, while the figures for rough sleepers are already at the levels they were at last Christmas.

The Simon Community say exactly one year ago, 1,598 individuals were in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region each night.

Now it says not only has the number of people who are long-term homeless grown by 53%, but individuals in emergency accommodation has increased to 2,298 in the capital.

It adds that 1,275 children and 607 families are without a home in the Dublin region alone, calling this "outrageous and unacceptable".

The numbers sleeping rough have grown despite the provision of 207 extra beds over Christmas last year.

The Simon Community says these extra beds are continuing to operate at full capacity - and their weekly early morning street counts are recording an average of 150 a night.

This is equivalent to the numbers sleeping rough in December 2014, which were the highest since the count began.

Sam McGuinness of Dublin Simon told Newstalk Breakfast the government must accept that it is facing a humanitarian crisis.