According to Dublin City Council, its proposals to implement a licensing system to oversee volunteer food services for the capital’s homeless are not intended to outlaw so-called soup kitchens, reports RTE.
The service providers, however, claim the new approach is an attempt to hide them from the public and poses a threat to their survival.
About 24 volunteer food services are said to be working on Dublin’s streets, providing meals to people who are homeless or suffering from food hardship, reports RTE.
One of these is the Grubs Up Homeless Service, which feeds 250–300 individuals every night and is located on O’Connell Street, outside the GPO.
For around ten years, Mags Rickard, a former Donaghmede teacher, has been providing food for the homeless.
“Do they realise what a vital service we’re giving? The people behind me, they’re somebody’s son or daughter or mother who have hit hard times. They’re here on the streets for a whole range of reasons and I feel they deserve our help. We’re not sure exactly yet what those by-laws will be, but please God, we’ll be able to navigate them and keep doing this,” she explained, reports RTE.
People outside the GPO may also get food and clothes from Éire Nua Food Services, which is owned by Diarmuid Mac Douglais, popularly known as Dougie.
“I think the council wants to hide homeless food services from the public,” he stated, reports RTE.
“One of the main things that the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) were looking for was that we all register as charities. It’s unobtainable. People that were looking for charity status were five years waiting for charity status. They’re not going to give 24 different groups charity status to serve food anywhere. I’m not a fool,” reports RTE.
He continued: “I can see that, as such, we’re an eyesore and this is one of the main places of visitation for tourists coming into Dublin, so it does, it looks bad and I acknowledge that. They’re just trying to push us into the dark corner somewhere. Dublin City Council acknowledged the need is there and we’re filling a need that is not being filled by the registered charities and by the State itself. So there has to be a compromise somewhere,” reports RTE.
Joanna Daly, a Ballymun native who now resides in the heart of Dublin, said the assistance she receives from the soup kitchens is essential.
“I come here obviously because I’d be hungry. Sometimes I come here because there’s some lovely people here as well. I know I’m safe and I could talk to the members of staff and if I’m having any problems, they will give me the numbers I need to put me in the right direction. I live in a small DCC flat and it’s freezing. So I’d rather be here because it’s warmer here than it is there,” reports RTE.
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