A homeless woman who spent the night in a Garda station with six of her children, says she feels disgusted she cannot do more for her children.
Margaret Cash was referred to Tallaght Garda station after emergency accommodation could not be found for her family.
Photos have been published of the mother and her children aged 1 to 11 sprawled across metal chairs in the waiting room.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive says there was a record number of families presenting out of hours last night looking for emergency accommodation.
"I feel disgusted as a mother that there's not more that I can do for them," said Ms Cash.
"I feel horrible, I feel like crying now. It's just horrible, it's very, very hard.
"It's so frightening, it's unreal. Until you're in that situation you'll never know what it's like.
"The garda station and the Garda were like 'Well what do they expect us to do? We have nowhere to put you'.
It was horrible. It was disgusting. It was disgraceful. I just sat up all night watching them.
"The kids felt scruffy, they felt dirty. They didn't have anywhere to wash, they didn't have anywhere to do anything."
There are calls for politicians to come back from their holidays to sort the situation out.
"We've had families last night that walked the streets up until 10 o'clock waiting on referrals for accommodation," said Anthony Flynn of Inner City Helping Homeless.
"That's unacceptable for any child, that's unacceptable for any mother to have to go through that torment.
"So we're asking for the Dáil to be recalled.
"We want the Minister out and we want them back working in regard to the situation."
