Children should not pay for housing crisis, says McNelis

The latest figures from the Department of Housing show 5,659 children in emergency accommodation, a 13% increase from July 2025.

by Gráinne Greene Galway Advertiser, Thu, Sep 17, 2026

“In Galway, 204 children were already living in emergency accommodation in April,” says McNelis. “Behind every one of those numbers is a family living with uncertainty, stress and the constant fear of what happens next.

“Children did not cause Ireland’s housing crisis. They should not be paying the price for Government failure.”

The state, McNelis says, has a responsibility to intervene before a child loses their home, by making the Tenant in Situ scheme demand-led; giving local authorities the resources to acquire suitable homes; bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use; and ensuring families at risk of homelessness receive meaningful support before eviction.

“The Government talks about protecting children, but when a family is facing eviction, the system too often waits until they are homeless before offering help. That is backwards. Prevention must come before emergency accommodation,” he says.