Over 3,800 children were homeless during the month of July in Ireland, the latest figures from the Department of Housing have shown.

According to the figures, 6,024 adults and 3,867 children were homeless during July - a total of 9,891 people. This marked an overall increase of 19 compared to June's figures.

While the number of homeless adults fell by 24 compared to June, the number of homeless children rose by 43.

Altogether, 1,778 families were homeless in July.

Some 68% of all homeless people were in Dublin - amounting to 4,097 people. The counties with the next highest number of homeless people were Cork (328), Limerick (307) and Galway (259).

Commenting on the figures, the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, said that any increase in the number of people accessing emergency accommodation ‘is unacceptable'.

Mr Murphy said that his department meets regularly with the four Dublin local authorities and the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive ‘to coordinate our response to this challenging situation'.

However, also commenting on the figures, homeless charity, Focus Ireland, insisted that the Government ‘is now further away from getting on top of the housing and homeless crisis'.

It said that new figures for Dublin show 122 families became newly homeless in July - that is around four families becoming homeless every single day during that month.

This is the second highest monthly total for the number of families becoming newly homeless in Dublin since records began almost six years ago. It means that in the first seven months of this year, a total of 679 families became newly homeless.

"The shocking fact that almost four families became homeless every single day in July in Dublin alone really shows how far we are from getting on top of the crisis. There is some positive news as we are managing to slow down the increase in the numbers living in emergency accommodation through the hard work of staff in Focus Ireland, other homeless organisations, local authorities and the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.

"However, the main reason families are becoming homeless is that they are being evicted from their homes by private landlords due to properties being sold or repossessed. The only solution to this crisis is that, as a society, we must do more to keep families in their existing homes, so they never become homeless in the first place," commented Focus Ireland CEO, Pat Dennigan.

He said that measures to prevent people becoming homeless ‘must be further prioritised', such as giving better protection to tenants of buy-to-let landlords by introducing new legislation.

The charity also warned that legislation is needed to protect Irish homes ‘from the growing threat posed by vulture funds'.

"These international investment funds buy distressed properties to sell for a quick profit, and the Government must clip the wings of these vultures," it added.

For more information on Focus Ireland, click here