Among single adults entering its emergency accommodation last year, 46 per cent had come directly from other homeless services, 20 per cent had been rough sleeping, and seven per cent arrived from a hospital

A tent and blankets used by a woman by a wall situated off Island Road, Limerick, served as a grim reminder of the homeless crisis.

Many more children locally are not officially counted on homeless lists as they are staying with relatives, often in overcrowded properties