Over 1,200 people have used the Depaul Cold Weather Initiative night hostel over the past year.

It was launched on December 15 2014 to address emergency and short term homeless following the death of Jonathan Corrie on December 1 that year.

The hostel provides 30 emergency beds for single men and women and couples experiencing homelessness on a night-by-night basis in Dublin.

Depaul says it was meant to be a short term measure, but increasing demand has led to its continued operation and longer opening hours.

Kerry Anthony MBE, CEO of Depaul, said there have been significant changes in those at risk of homelessnesss:

"The sheer scale and diversity of people accessing Depaul’s one-night-only homelessness accommodation are astounding.

"Shockingly, we are seeing more and more people come to the doors of our night hostels only to leave the next morning to go to work; a testament to the financial stress facing hundreds of vulnerable households across Ireland."

She also called on the Government to increase its efforts to tackle the structural problems underlying the issue: 

"We call upon them to match rhetoric with action and build more social and affordable housing, as well as to raise rent supplement levels as a priority.

"Without concerted efforts to tackle the root causes of homelessness, emergency accommodation provision will only ever be a Band-Aid solution."