Over €25m was spent last year to house homeless families in emergency accommodation, according to figures released to RTÉ News.
Figures from the Dublin Homeless Regional Executive show that just over €16.5m was spent on hotels with just under €9m being spent on other types of accommodation such as B&Bs and guesthouses.
The figures include the amount spent by the four Dublin local authorities - Fingal, South Dublin, Dublin City and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.
Yesterday it was revealed that a record high number of 125 families became homeless last month.
The latest official figures show that the total number of such families in emergency accommodation now stands at 769, which includes 1,570 children.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Dublin Simon Community has said there is a homeless epidemic.
Sam McGuinness said there has been a "100% jump in homelessness" since January last year.
Mr McGuinness told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that rent supplements are "not sufficient" to help people out of the difficulties they have.
He said the amount of money spent on rent supplement has gone down considerably in the last five years (approximately €200m) and it needs to be increased.
He claimed that "no one seems to have an answer to stop people losing their homes and the problem is just getting worse".
He added: "Rent supplements need to be increased. The amount of money spent on rent supplement has gone down something like €200m in the last five years.
"Market rents have gone up anyway and people are losing their homes. And the way we're going now there's no stopping it.
"No one seems to have an answer to stop people losing their homes presently and the numbers are going up."
He said there are huge numbers of social housing intended to be built and huge amounts of money being put aside to build them.
However, Mr McGuinness said he "cannot see cranes around Dublin city building houses" and from builders he has talked to, it seems that it is "only commercially worthwhile to build high-end houses".
He said: "Something needs to be done to get rid of the red tape to make it worthwhile for builders to get back to building homes".
"I think we need to put somebody in charge and some organisation in charge that is purely focused on fixing structural issues that are preventing builders from getting back into house-building.
"And to make sure that somehow we have the leadership and an organisation that has no responsibility but to get house-building going and to get rid of the red tape that's getting in the way.
"And to get rid of the extra costs and to make it worthwhile for people to get back into building."
Mr McGuinness said that homelessness is causing massive difficulties for families and he fears that greater social issues will be caused as a result.
Listen to Sam McGuinness from the Dublin Simon Community on Morning Ireland, here...
Also speaking on Morning Ireland, Fianna Fáil's spokesperson for the Environment Barry Cowen denied that the homelessness crisis was a result of his party's handling of the economy, calling it "a myth."
Mr Cowen said: "Between 2007 to 2010, the government was building 3,600 social housing units per annum while this government has built 300 per annum."
He said this government has lacked leadership and policy to deal with homelessness and, if elected, Fianna Fáil would provide a "senior minister to address the problem".
He added that the issue of rent supplement and rent certainty had to be addressed and FF has plans to build 45,000 homes over the next five years.
Mr Cowen told Morning Ireland that modular homes have yet to be delivered while the government is allowing NAMA to sell units in job lots to vulture funds.
He said it was "high time there was a government in place with a social conscience".
Speaking on the same programme, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Paschal Donohue said the homelessness crisis is causing the "most profound anxiety for people".
He claimed that the government has made "13,000 homes available over the last year and plans are in place to open 17,000 new homes for social housing this year".
Mr Donohue said: "There is a duty to get children out of B&Bs and give them homes."
Mr Donohue argued that the country has "been in a financial crisis for most of the government's term in office" and, as the country began to emerge from that crisis, the government began to put money into social structures.
He said the government has put plans in place - including the derelict land levy - to help boost the private housing market.
He said he believed that that the way we should deliver housing is through local authorities and that NAMA's overall role in relation to housing is to "deliver 20,000 units".
In response to Mr Cowen's comments, Minister Donohue said he "did not need a lecture on social conscience from a party that cut minimum wage and caused an economic collapse".
Listen to Fine Gael's Paschal Donoghue and Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen on Morning Ireland, here...
Ministers reject 'rotating Taoiseach' proposal
Former Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Conor Lenihan has said a "rotating Taoiseach" may be a workable idea if the two big parties were to "bury the history of division and come together post-election".
He said that it would be "one way to stabilise the coalition".
He said he wrote the piece for today's Irish Daily Mail as speculation and to suggest just one of many possible outcomes in the upcoming elections.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen and Fine Gael Minister Paschal Donohoe both rejected Mr Lenihan's proposal outright.
Mr Cowen said: "Some people just can't help themselves... Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are not compatible and our party is ruling out everything in relation to a coalition with Fine Gael.
"My colleagues and I are going out to win the election. Not draw it, not lose it - win it."
For his part, Mr Donohoe refused to entertain the suggestion that the two parties could effectively "share" the position of Taoiseach in a coalition.
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport also said it was imperative that the planned meeting between all sides in the LUAS dispute happen "on a reasonable basis".
Mr Donohoe said the people he represents "are the taxpayer and commuter and, if this action continues, the Luas will be wrecked".
