Thousands of people have taken part in a protest in Dublin over the homeless crisis.

Organisers said close to 20,000 people joined the march, while other estimates put it at around 12,000-15,000 

The rally was organised by a coalition of trade unions, political parties and community groups.

This latest rally saw protesters march from Parnell Square down to the quays and back to the GPO on Dublin's O'Connell Street where they heard from speakers and singers.

John Douglas of the Mandate Trade Union told the marchers they had been betrayed by the Government and that should be punished at the local and European elections.

Colm O'Halloran of the Union of Students in Ireland said students are being priced out of the market and cannot afford what he called extortionate student residences and called for fit-for-purpose student accommodation 

We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

Senator Frances Black sang a lament for James Connolly, saying he did not die so that 4,000 children could live in homelessness. 

Refugee and Traveller rights groups and civil society groups such as Amnesty and Age Action also marched.

Fr Peter McVerry warned that tens of thousands of mortgages in arrears mean what is a crisis could become a catastrophe tomorrow and said immediate measures are needed to prevent more families becoming homeless. 

The Government has pointed to the increasing number of new homes being built, saying that increased supply is the answer to the housing crisis.

However, those attending today's protest argued that it should be doing much more.