The number of homeless people accessing emergency accommodation has risen again.

Figures from the Department of Housing show 5,869 accessed emergency accommodation in September - an increase of 171 people when compared to August.

Contained in that overall number is 3,829 children.

However, the department added that new data shows - for a second month in a row - family presentations in Dublin are down, and the number of new families entering emergency accommodation is also down.

While in Dublin in the month of September, 119 families were prevented from entering emergency accommodation - and 45 families exited the system.

Commenting on the figures, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said: "We are still very much in the midst of a crisis in homelessness in this country, despite the increasing numbers of new social houses being built and house building more generally.

"Until we have caught up with supply, we will continue to face a serious challenge.

"More effort is needed and more emergency responses are needed, and the provision of extra money in the budget, for this year and next year, is demonstration of the Government's determination when it comes to our homelessness crisis.

A mural in Smithfield, Dublin to highlight the ongoing homeless crisis | Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

"Regulation of the short term rental market as well as greater protections for tenants, both of which are imminent, will also play an important role in making better progress."

He added: "I don't want to see any new families in emergency accommodation, but it should be noted that the work of authorities with our partners in the NGO sector has resulted in more than 160 family preventions and exits in Dublin in the month of September and that is very welcome.

"Families are getting the help they need, but clearly not enough of them."

Focus Ireland has called for a shift in Government policy to tackle the crisis.

It said it believes there will be no end to the crisis without a change.

The charity has said the figures for September show a 16% rise from the total in September last year.

It said that while much good work is being done, the latest numbers show the Government has "failed to take a number of vital decisions required to ease the crisis."

It CEO Pat Dennigan said: "There is some positive news as we are managing to ensure that the number of people living in emergency accommodation is not rising as fast as it was last year.

"This has been achieved by the combined hard work of staff in Focus Ireland, other homeless organisations, local authorities and the DRHE.

"However, it is totally unacceptable and wrong that at the same time three families became homeless every single day in September in Dublin alone.

"This again shows that there will be no solution to the homeless crisis until the Government takes serious measures to prevent families losing their homes."