Focus Ireland is calling on the Housing Minister to do more to protect families from becoming homeless.

The charity made the call as the latest government figures show a further rise in the number of people accessing emergency accommodation.

According to the Department of Housing there were 10,378 people accessing homeless services in April – a rise of 73 on the previous month.

There were 3,794 children accessing emergency accommodation – a drop of 27.

There were 1,729 families accessing the services – a drop of four.

"Very challenging"

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said family homelessness “continues to be very challenging, particularly in the Dublin area.”

“So far this year we have exited more than 320 families out of emergency accommodation into a home – which is some progress – but, clearly, we need to do a lot more.

“My Department is working closely with the local authorities to deliver homes for every family in emergency accommodation.”

Family homelessness

This afternoon however, Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland, said the Government is not doing enough to protect families from homelessness.

“The fact is that more families are moving in, families are becoming homeless more quickly than we are moving them out – and that is something he has control over,” he said.

“We know that the reason that many families are becoming homeless is because their landlords are selling up or moving other family members in.

“We need something to protect families under those circumstances and the minister hasn’t yet moved on that.”

Homeless crisis

He said the record figures can sometimes "lead people to despair" but said all of Ireland's newly-elected councillors have an opportunity to make an impact of the crisis.

“What we are saying is, there are a whole lot of councils and councillors elected right across the country,” he said.

“They are on the front line in terms of dealing with homelessness and we are calling on all those councillors across the country to take a fresh approach; to see homelessness as a problem they can solve.

"A problem that they, as newly elected councillors or re-elected councillors, can actually make a huge difference in."

Counting in Ireland's local elections is now complete - with all 949 seats filled last night.

Fianna Fáil is the largest party in local government with 279 seats, with Fine Gael 24 behind on 255.

Sinn Féin has 81, with Labour on 57 and the Green Party on 49.