A homeless family with five young children were forced to use sleeping bags on a Garda Station floor overnight because they had nowhere else to turn.
Councillor and CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn said the family had previously contacted Dublin City Council seeking emergency beds.
The children aged between seven and 16 were dressed in their school uniforms and were snapped by Councillor Flynn as they carried their school bags around during the night.
Mr Flynn, who put up a post on social media and described the Dublin family’s ordeal, wrote: “The reality of homelessness in Ireland.
"Tonight I was called to a city Garda station by my team.
"This is why children given sleeping bags by a state service because they had no accommodation a available for the family. I am utterly lost for words tonight’s #WorldHomelessDay.”
But Dublin City Council has disputed this and has claimed the family were “offered emergency accommodation last night but did not wish to take up the offer”.
It is understood the family had arrived at Store Street Garda Station at 9.30pm and they left at about 1am.
Mr Flynn said his charity sourced and provided an apartment for the family last night and told the Irish Daily Mirror: “I did [put them up]. We’re in a situation where. Gardai had been in touch with the statutory agencies in terms of the family that did present at Store Street [Garda Station].
“Our outreach support teams visit Store Street Garda Station anyways on a nightly basis to deal with people that are rough sleeping in the station.
“While they were they came across the family who had been provided with sleeping bags by the statutory agencies and told that there was no accommodation available for them last night and that they would have to remain in the garda station.”
Mr Flynn and Inner City Helping Homeless are working today to try and find suitable accommodation for the mum and dad, in their 50s, and the kids.
A Dublin City Council spokeswoman with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive said: “In relation to your query, this mother and her children were offered emergency accommodation last night but did not wish to take up the offer.
