Between 50 and 100 children under the age of 18 sleep rough in Dublin every night, Father Peter McVerry, who works with homeless boys, estimates. Some 50 per cent are girls. A count of all rough sleepers in Dublin city centre in October, carried out by the Dublin Simon Community, found that the numbers had risen by 60 per cent in three years, from 125 to 209.
Dublin Simon's director, Mr Greg Maxwell, said the numbers were "almost certainly higher".
An estimated 1,250 children are homeless in Dublin, the majority sleeping in hostels and B&Bs.
Total numbers of rough sleepers have risen in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dundalk.
There are 10 hostels for young people in Dublin - eight for boys and two for girls, though these have been criticised for failing to meet the needs of young homeless people.