Galway Family's Two-Year Homelessness Highlights Crisis Amid Rising Child Figures
A Galway family, homeless for over two years, faces severe living conditions in emergency accommodation, impacting their children's health. Despite a slight decrease in Galway's child homelessness, the city is in a housing crisis, with public representatives blaming government policies and housing shortages. The Department of Housing emphasizes local authority responsibility and a new action plan to end homelessness.
A Galway family, including two young boys, has been homeless for over two years, living in emergency accommodation. The mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the harsh conditions in a B&B with communal areas, which led to her eldest son developing significant behavioral and emotional difficulties. A medical team advised Galway City Council that a three-bedroom house was required, citing the children's distress and the eldest son's night terrors, which worsened after an incident in the B&B. However, the council deemed night terrors not an «enduring medical condition».
Latest figures show a slight increase of 31 people in emergency accommodation in April, with 5,604 children nationally. While Galway's child homelessness figures improved from 240 in April 2024 to 204 in April 2025, it still faces a severe shortage of social housing. Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell and Fianna Fáil TD John Connolly highlighted the «utter crisis point» in Galway, blaming government policies and an insufficient supply of suitable properties. The Department of Housing stated that local authorities are responsible for homeless services and are working to end homelessness through a new housing action plan.