There has been a 38% drop in the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin, according to the latest rough sleeper count from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

105 people were sleeping rough across the Dublin region on the night of 14 April, compared to 168 people in November of last year.

This represents the largest decrease since the first count took place in 2007.

In December, the Government hosted a special forum on homelessness following the death of Jonathon Corrie close to Leinster House, in which extra emergency accommodation places as well as a night café for homeless people were announced.

On the night of count on 14 April, 1,872 “unique adult individuals” were accommodated in homeless service emergency accommodation across the Dublin region, while 46 people accessed the night café operated by Merchant's Quay Ireland.

Of those who were sleeping rough on 14 April, 88 were male, 15 were female and two individuals were unknown. 57 people were Irish, 14 were non-Irish nationals, while 34 were from an unknown country.

Seventeen of the rough sleepers identified were aged between 18 and 30, while the largest group was aged between 31 and 40 with 28 rough sleepers in that category. Four people were over the age of 60.

Minister for the Environment Minister Alan Kelly has welcomed the reduction in rough sleepers in Dublin but has acknowledged figures remain high, with growing numbers in emergency accommodation.

There have been a further 271 emergency beds put into the system since November's count.

Mr Kelly today opened a complex with 19 units of social housing in Dublin's Bluebell.

He said his department has further projects and will be appealing for ideas from developers and other interested parties on land or buildings that can be used for social housing.

There were scuffles as anti-water charge protesters tried to prevent Mr Kelly from leaving the event.

There was pushing and shoving as gardaí, including members of the Public Order Unit, dealt with around 30 demonstrators.

There were no arrests as a result of the incident.

Scuffles between gardaí and protesters as Minister leaves function in Dublin Warning: Video contains bad language https://t.co/RJoN3gu3OO — RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 30, 2015

Homeless organisations say more work needs to be done

CEO of the Fr Peter McVerry Trust Pat Doyle has welcomed the figures: "It's positive that this is the single largest reduction in people sleeping rough since the official count began in 2007.

"However, having 105 people sleeping on the streets is still not acceptable and much work remains to be done to reduce that number further."

Sam McGuinness from Dublin Simon Community said the data from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive is a phenomenal figure considering recent provisions of additional emergency accommodation.

“With now over 2,000 adults and nearly 1000 children stuck in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region alone, more than 3,000 adults and children are facing homelessness daily, trapped in despair and uncertainty, with nowhere to go. This could be as high as 3,500 by June 2015 if no significant action is taken to permanently house adults, parents and children", he said.

Mr McGuinness added: "The scale of the crisis in the Greater Dublin area, including counties in the commuter belt, is of mammoth proportions and is getting worse. The Minister of Environment has reduced the number of roofless and moved people into emergency accommodation, which is now becoming long-term.

"There are no places left in hotels, guesthouses and emergency units. People are forced to forage for themselves in a scarce and discriminating housing market where they cannot compete."