More than 13,000 people are now officially homeless in the Republic of Ireland for the first time, according to new figures.
Department of Housing figures for the month of October show that 13,179 people are now accessing emergency accomodation in the state, including 159 people in the North West.
Notably however, these figures also exclude people who have to sleep rough, without a place to stay provided by Government or a charitable organisation.
Of these, almost 4,000 children are now living in emergency accommodation nationwide – 29 of which are in the North West region.
