Ireland’s Shame: 5,000 Homeless Children Abandoned While Billions Are Squandered on IPAS Centres & the rest.

Yesterday’s announcement that over 5,000 Irish children are now homeless—a record high—marks a dark day for our nation. This is not just a statistic; it’s a national disgrace, a betrayal of our most vulnerable by a government that has lost all sense of duty to its own people. While Irish children sleep in emergency shelters, cars, or on the streets, the government pours billions into International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centres, lavishing extortionate sums, over €400,000 per modular home, on immigrants who receive free healthcare, food, discounted electricity, free travel, and more. The Irish taxpayer is bled dry to fund this madness, while our own children are left to suffer. This article, calls out the government’s shameful priorities and demands action to put Ireland first.

A Crisis of Irish Children Ignored

The Department of Housing’s latest figures reveal a gut-wrenching truth: 16,058 people, including 5,014 children, were in emergency accommodation in July 2025, a 13.9% rise in child homelessness from last year. These are Irish children, our future, forced into hotels, B&Bs, or worse, with no stability, no security, and no hope. Charities like Focus Ireland and Barnardos have sounded the alarm, with Pat Dennigan stating, “Homelessness hurts everyone and it hurts children the most.” Yet, the government, led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, has failed to deliver on its promises to tackle this crisis. Since 2014, homelessness has tripled, with six housing ministers—Jan O’Sullivan, Alan Kelly, Simon Coveney, Eoghan Murphy, Darragh O’Brien, and now James Browne—failing to stem the tide. Their “Housing for All” plan, touted as a solution, is a hollow sham, with child homelessness soaring despite their pledges. It shoudl be called ‘Housing for all immegrants’.

Billions for IPAS, Pennies for Our Own

While Irish children languish, the government funnels billions into IPAS centres to house immigrants, many of whom arrive unvetted, both legally and illegally. In 2024 alone, €418.24 million was spent on homelessness services, much of it on emergency accommodation for asylum seekers, yet little on prevention for Irish families. The cost of modular homes for migrants is staggering—over €400,000 per unit, an extortionate price that reeks of government mismanagement or worse, corruption. In Carlow, a “village” of 50 modular units was built for migrants, while in Athlone, plans for 1,000 adult male migrants in Lissywollen sparked local outrage, with councillors facing legal battles to stop it. Across Ireland, 45 IPAS centres and 24 emergency accommodations, including hotels, (it does not include guest houses, army barricks like in Tralee) have sprung up, often in secret, thanks to laws shielding the government from public scrutiny. The number is a lot higher than this if you count in the number of guest houses etc that are being used.

Immigrants in these centres receive a king’s ransom in benefits: free healthcare, medical cards, food, discounted electricity, and free travel, all funded by the Irish taxpayer. Meanwhile, Irish families face eviction due to unaffordable rents, with no-fault evictions driving 428 households into homelessness in Q3 2024. The government’s refusal to reinstate an eviction ban, despite calls from Sinn Féin and Social Democrats, shows their callous disregard for our own. Ken O’Flynn TD rightly called this an “asylum system out of control and grossly unfair,” accusing the government of handing out benefits to IPAS applicants while Irish taxpayers foot the bill. Annual esitmated at €3.2 – €4 Billion – Yet we have over 5000 homeless Irish Children.

A Government Betraying Its People

The government’s priorities are clear: foreigners over Irish children. While they claim to uphold the Lisbon Declaration to end homelessness by 2030, their actions tell a different story. Over 1,000 male asylum seekers are currently without accommodation, yet the state still prioritises their needs, offering €113.80 weekly allowances, while Irish families get nothing. In Dublin, 70% of the homeless are concentrated, with 3,388 children in emergency shelters, some in appalling conditions—stained sheets, faeces on curtains, and no heating. The government’s response? Throw more money at IPAS, with €144 million spent on commercial hotels and B&Bs for migrants in Dublin alone.

This is not governance; it’s betrayal. The government’s “Housing First” policy, inspired by Finland, claims to address long-term homelessness, but only 68 new supported tenancies were created in Q3 2024, a drop in the bucket compared to the 5,014 homeless children. Meanwhile, Irish Residential Properties REIT reported €16.3 million in profits in 2025, proof that corporate landlords thrive while our children suffer. The government’s refusal to increase Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rates since 2016 leaves Irish families unable to compete in the private rental market, driving them into homelessness.

The Cultural Cost of Neglect

This crisis is not just economic; it’s a cultural tragedy. Irish children, the heirs of our Celtic heritage, are being robbed of their birthright, stability, community, and a home rooted in our traditions. The government’s obsession with accommodating immigrants, many of whom show disdain for our culture on platforms like TikTok Live, erodes our identity. While Irish students struggle with accommodation costs, unable to afford college, migrants are handed free housing and education. The government’s plan to bring in 500 Palestinian students, offering them free education and accommodation, is a slap in the face to every Irish family waiting for a medical card or a school bus seat. Denmark’s experience with 321 Palestinian refugees in 1992, where 64% were convicted of crimes and 55% were on welfare, (by 2019, 204 (64%) had been convicted of crimes, 71 jailed, and 176 were on welfare. Of their 999 children, 337 were convicted of crimes, 132 jailed, and 372 were on welfare, showing a pattern of dependency and disruption that Ireland risks repeating.) warns of the long-term cost of such policies.

A Call to Arms: Ireland First

The government’s failure is a deliberate choice. They’ve chosen to prioritise immigrants over Irish children, spending billions on IPAS centres while our own sleep in squalor. Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Housing Minister James Browne have been warned by Focus Ireland that 2025 must be a turning point, yet their policies remain unchanged. We demand action: halt unvetted immigration, redirect IPAS funds to build social housing for Irish families, reinstate the eviction ban, and prioritise our children’s future. Ireland is a wealthy nation, yet our government squanders our surplus on foreigners while our children suffer.

Enough is enough. The 5,000 homeless Irish children are a stain on this government’s legacy. As @pb4p on X stated, “More than 5,000 children are homeless across Ireland because of our government.” We will not stand by as our heritage is dismantled and our children abandoned. Join the movement. Demand accountability. Ireland belongs to the Irish—starting with our children.