HOMELESSNESS campaigner Fr Peter McVerry has warned that Irish society is becoming more unequal.
The Newry-born Jesuit priest, who set up a charity in Dublin to tackle homelessness almost 40 years ago, said he was deeply concerned that a record number of people were without a home.
And he warned that many families were struggling to make ends meet.
In his new book, A Dose of Reality, Fr McVerry said he feared the problem is getting worse.
"There is something profoundly wrong when, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and the fastest growing economy in the EU, we have a record number of people homeless, children going to school hungry, children waiting months, or even years, for medical assessments and essential treatment, and many, many people struggling to make ends meet and provide even basic necessities for their children," he said.
"We have a profoundly unequal society, which is becoming more unequal as time goes on."
The book includes selected articles Fr McVerry has written for Reality, the Redemptorist monthly magazine, since 2000.
They cover issues including the Republic's drug problem, restorative justice and the meaning of Christmas.
Fr McVerry said it was deeply concerning that so few people could afford to own their own home in the Republic.
"Many people have done everything right – worked hard, followed the rules, listened to the promises – but still cannot afford to move out of their parents' home," he wrote.
The Peter McVerry Trust runs 25 hostels, a residential drug detox and treatment centre, aftercare houses and 350 apartments for homeless people.
A Dose of Reality is available from www.redcoms.org, priced €9.95.
