Over 100 Homeless Mothers Gave Birth at NMH; 5 Pregnant Women Slept Rough in Dublin
Over 100 homeless or at-risk mothers gave birth at Dublin's NMH last year, with five pregnant women sleeping rough. This highlights a growing crisis where having a baby is a top reason for new family homelessness in Dublin, impacting hundreds across multiple maternity hospitals.
Over 100 mothers gave birth at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) in Dublin while homeless or at risk of homelessness last year. Five pregnant women among them were forced to sleep rough. Having a baby while in emergency accommodation was a top five reason for new family homelessness in Dublin in 2025.
The NMH, along with the Rotunda and Coombe maternity hospitals, reported significant numbers of homeless patients. In 2024, 767 women attending the Rotunda were at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The Coombe saw a 48 percent increase in referrals for women lacking stable housing in 2024 compared to 2023.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) stated that a single person becoming a family, either through birth or gaining custody, accounted for 8 percent of all new family homelessness presentations in Dublin in 2025. This ranked among the top five reasons, ahead of families becoming homeless after leaving Direct Provision in the preceding six months.
In 2025, the NMH's inclusion health service supported 236 patients, with 86 homeless and 30 at risk. Five pregnant women slept rough due to accommodation access issues, and 16 experienced delays transferring from single to family accommodation. The NMH delivers between 6,000 and 7,000 babies annually, with 6,858 births in 2024.