Children who are currently homeless in Ireland are worse off than children who are homeless in the UK, a children's charity has said.
Marking Human Rights Day on Saturday, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) said progress on finding alternatives to emergency accommodation for homeless families was “inadequate” if Government targets were to be met. It called for urgent action on the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness.
The ISPCC raised concerns about the ongoing placement of children in emergency accommodation and what it said was the lack of standards associated with hotel use and the duration of stays.
The ISPCC called on the State to put in place minimum legal protections for homeless children, including a right to temporary accommodation and advice and assistance; the establishment of a programme of alternative accommodation for homeless families to reduce the use of emergency accommodation; and a commitment to outlaw the use of emergency accommodation for homeless children from 2018.
According to Department of Housing statistics for October, 2,470 children are experiencing homelessness, an increase of 44 children in one month.
“The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive further reported that 1,608 children are living in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region. These children are worse off than children who are homeless in the UK because they have fewer legal protections,” the ISPCC said.
ISPCC chief executive Grainia Long said the right to an adequate standard of living was "a critical right for all children, including those who are homeless and living in emergency accommodation. The State must therefore ensure limited use of emergency accommodation, similar to neighbouring jurisdictions, like Scotland.
“The ISPCC is concerned that the progress made so far to bring forward alternatives to emergency accommodation in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness is insufficient if the target of ceasing to use emergency accommodation for children by mid-2017 is to be met.”
Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10th. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognises the right to housing.