“The concentration of job losses in low paid sectors means that the impact (of COVID-19) has disproportionately fallen on groups that are least able to endure a financial hit,” said Kieran Stafford, national president, SVP.

The church which was built in the 1960s to seat almost 3,500 people will be replaced by a smaller church seating about 350.

The organisation appeals for more government funding as the gap between the demand for services and the funding it receives from government increases.

SVP is still receiving an average of 1000 calls for help every day from worried families in the run-up to Christmas and is particularly concerned about some people in private rented accommodation.

Focus Ireland annual report highlights deepening housing crisis. "The risk of children being forced to sleep rough with their families for want of an emergency bed is now an every night reality."

But many of the commitments are "unclear, with no timescale or finances named" says Focus Ireland.

Peter McVerry Trust calls for compulsory purchase of vacant buildings in private ownership.

301 women were assisted by the NGO according to the 2015 Annual Report including 94 victims of sex trafficking, an increase of six over the previous year (88 in 2014).

“The opportunity to realise a fair, inclusive and sustained recovery for the people it assists is being eroded by the absence of a new government.”

"Since Tyrrelstown everyone who is renting, even if they are keeping up with their rent, feels vulnerable."

There is a 36-month lead-in from a greenfield site to delivering a housing development. So we won't see houses coming though until 2019 or 2020.

In addition to children who are homeless, thousands more are living in overcrowded, unsuitable and unsafe sub-standard accommodation.

Given the scale & implications of the housing & homelessness crisis, it's disappointing the issue hasn't featured far more prominently in election debates: Fr McVerry.

“It is important that both politicians and the electorate think about the profoundly damaging impact the housing & homelessness crisis is having on so many."

"In the coming months existing services will experience enormous strain and many of those entering homelessness will be children.”

The latest Department of Environment figures reveal 865 children living in hostels, B&Bs and hotels.

New figures released by Focus Ireland show the number of homeless families in Dublin alone rose to 450 over the first 11 months of this year.

The Ripple container project is a charity initiative which will see a homeless family in Cork housed before Christmas.

"Looking after children is how you define a society’" - yet in Ireland today, one in ten children lives in consistent poverty.

Homeless charity warns housing crisis cannot be solved without substantial Government investment in public housing.