The Minister for Housing has said the issue of homelessness remains the Government's number one challenge.
The number of homeless people in Ireland last month was at a record high, with figures released Friday showing 14,303 people were being accommodated in emergency shelters, including 4,404 children.
However, Darragh O'Brien said that despite the rise, there was a positive exit trend emerging.
He told RTÉ's This Week: "In quarter two of this year, we exited a record number of 630 households out of homelessness into safe and secure housing."
Mr O'Brien said the country had significant decreases in homelessness in counties such as Cork, Longford, Westmeath and Tipperary, where the allocation system was working.
He said: "Where the issue is most acute is particularly in Dublin.
"Last month, the highest proportion of new presentations to homeless services and emergency services was those leaving direct provision with status, and that is a newer issue that we are seeing now."
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He added that it was "difficult to predict why people come into emergency accommodation".
Taking Dublin as an example, he said: "About 80% of our homeless population is in the Dublin region.
"Just short of 30% of new presentation the highest amount of new presentations of singles was those leaving direct provision, and that is an issue."
He said the supply of good social homes needed to continue to increase, adding that in 2023 there were more new social homes built than in the last 50 years.
The minister said anyone who finds themselves homeless will be supported "by the State in good quality emergency accommodation".
He said the Government will attain its target this year of building more than 9,000 new build social homes with an overall target of more than 12,000.
"The local authorities themselves are the housing authorities in their own area, and they put together the schedule of priorities," he added.
