Fury as homeless boy, 5, spotted eating biscuits on a crate just days after he was pictured on freezing Dublin street
A HOMELESS boy has been pictured eating biscuits on a crate just days after he was spotted eating spaghetti off cardboard in a freezing street.
The heartbreaking photos of Sam in school uniform were posted by a homeless volunteer group in Dublin and branded a "national shame".
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Photos of the boy, who was given the pseudonym "Sam" by The Homeless Street Cafe on Tuesday, sparked outrage online.
The five-year-old - dressed in a grey hat and navy coat -
The volunteer group said the scene was "burned" into their minds.
And in an online post last night, heartbreaking photos of a young child - believed to be the same boy - were shared by Feed Our Homeless, a voluntary organisation who operate in Dublin City Centre.
The group's post read: "There are no words for these photos tonight. This is a national shame, the homeless crisis continues to get worse, not better.
"This young child in his school uniform and his bag just left school a few hours ago and is now having his dinner at Feed Our Homeless food station tonight."
The group said it is "becoming the norm" at the food station for "young homeless children to have their dinner here because they have no cooking facilities available to them" in emergency accommodation.
'DISGRACE'
It added: "Shame on this government, no child should have to eat their dinner on the streets sitting on a crate on the footpath simply because they have no place to call home.
"Children should be able to sit at a table with their parents to have their dinner like a normal family would."
The post sparked dozens of comments, with one saying: "I can't believe this is happening in 2019."
"That little boy just breaks my heart [...] Things just have to change and it starts with all of us," one said.
"Imagine how these children and teenagers must be feeling in school, these will be their childhood memories, growing up in Ireland in 2019.
"How sad, how shameful, what a disgrace," another added
Dublin City Councillor and CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn told The Irish Sun earlier this week it is "unacceptable" for anyone to be forced to eat from a footpath and said it is an "indictment" on the Government.
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"Ireland currently has over 750,000 people who are living in direct food poverty. More and more families with children who are accommodated in hotels and b&bs are forced to use soup kitchens because of a lack of cooking facilities.
"It is completely unacceptable for a child or any person to be forced to eat from a footpath. The boom is only back in the city for a certain percentage - it is clearly not back for our most vulnerable.
"This is an indictment on Government and should never be happening. I would call on the Minister for Housing and Social Protection to ensure that facilities paid for under Section 10 funding have minimum requirements of cooking facilities."