Government urged to increase supports for vulnerable children during summer break 

BARNARDOS Ireland has issued a call to the Government seeking increased supports for vulnerable families during the school summer break.

The call comes ahead of the latest set of homelessness data from the Department of Housing, which is due for release today.

Barnardos says that too many children are spending years in emergency accommodation, which is damaging to their health, wellbeing, and general development.

With schools now closing for the summer break, they have warned that these situations will be exacerbated as children will be forced to spend more time in cramped and unsuitable environments.

Speaking to The Echo, project leader for south Cork city Barnardos, Aoife Farrell said: “Children who are homeless, at risk of being homeless, or are living in unsuitable conditions, is something we see in practice all the time in south Cork city.

“When we think about summer and about children on holidays from school, we want to see them and their families enjoying a summer break.

“Whether that’s spending time in nature, spending time with friends, being able to have play dates, or going to a local sports camp.

“Those opportunities are often taken for granted, but for these vulnerable children these opportunities aren’t there for them, and they remain in an incredibly stressful situation.

“It’s going to be a very different summer for children who are in temporary accommodation, emergency accommodation, or at risk of being homeless.

“It’s not going to be the typical summer anyone would want for children in their community.”

Ms Farrell further highlighted how families that Barnardos work with living in these settings frequently discuss the additional difficulties of living in such small spaces, and the need for increased supports.

As the situation continues to worsen, the organisation has said that little to no immediate actions are being taken by Government to try to address the problem.

“The housing crisis needs to be addressed first and foremost,” Ms Farrell said. “We try our best to work with families to offer some practical support, but the bottom line is housing.”