Some 300 sleeping bags are being handed over today to people who are sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin.

The sleeping bags were provided by a youth group in Castleknock for the Peter McVerry Trust.

The handover was organised by Localise - an NGO which engages with young people - in association with the retail chain Halfords.

Forty members of Castleknock branch raised €2,000 locally to help in funding the sleeping bags.

There were 139 people sleeping rough this time last year - but it is believed the numbers this year have increased.

The Castleknock Localise members formed a human chain, to show solidarity with the homeless, when handing over the sleeping bags.

Derek Cleary is the director of Localise. He says the teenagers recently heard from a group of people who had been homeless.