06/09/2012

New Census Finds 457 Homeless Children

New census results released today have revealed that more than 450 under 14-year-olds are currently homeless.

Children under 14 represented almost one-eighth of the population of 3,808 homeless people identified on Census night in April 2011. Two-thirds of the homeless population was male.

This was the first time that such a “comprehensive approach” in identifying homeless people was undertaken as part of the census, Deirdre Cullen, CSO senior statistician, said.

Sixty-four children were sleeping rough, while more than two-fifths were in emergency accommodation, and others were in long-term and transitional accommodation.

The category of homeless was based on where people were staying on Census night rather than on self-identification.

Of the children identified, 199 were aged under four, and 154 were aged between five and nine. There were 208 pensioners identified as homeless, one-third of whom were aged over 75. Almost three-quarters of the group were aged between 20 and 59.

(H)


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