There has been further outcry this afternoon as Dublin City Council announced that a key homeless hostel is about to close it’s doors for good.
The unexpected closure has caused outrage amongst a number of people working at the country’s leading homeless advocacy groups, including Pat Doyle the CEO of the Peter McVerry trust who claimed the unjustified closure of the key hostel on Thomas Street in Dublin in the next two weeks is going to make the situation in the capital a whole lot worse.
Mr Doyle said they are now being forced ti convert sitting rooms in some of their shelters to accommodate the large numbers seeking a bed for the night. He further explained: “If you compare that to hospital beds, you wouldn’t take a 130 hospital beds out of the region, without having an impact on the clients and if these beds close the burden will be carried by the homeless population. “More people on the streets and more people at risk.”
Meanwhile, Fr Peter McVerry revealed that the majority of those seeking shelter believe the nations hostels are not safe. Mr McVerry told reporters people who use emergency hostels are often offered drugs or suffer intimidation. “They sleep with their runners under their pillow because they’re afraid they will be robbed.
“The tragedy is that some of the emergency hostels are so frightening and so unsafe that people feel safer sleeping somewhere like Stephen’s Green.”