Number of people on homeless register has risen in Carlow and Kilkenny

The number of people homeless in Carlow and Kilkenny has risen slightly.

The official figures for February of this year have been released by the Department of Housing showing that nationally there were more than 10,200 people without a home.

Locally, back in January there were 51 homeless in Kilkenny and 23 in Carlow.

Those figures have now risen to 57 and 26 respectively.

Noel Sherry is manager of the Good Shepherd Homeless Centre in Kilkenny and he says the official figures don’t even give the full picture.

Meanwhile, the government is looking at introducing reforms to rent pressure zones in the wake of the latest figures.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy says a number of areas are being examined to help tenants.