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Inner City Housing Homeless via Facebook

'Apologise or resign': Fury over council official's comments about 'bad behaviour' of Ireland's homeless

The head of Dublin’s homeless executive later said she could “probably have used better language”, but has not issued an apology.

THE HEAD OF the Dublin Region Homeless Executive has caused a furore after telling a council committee that for a person to become homeless “it takes years of bad behaviour”.

Eileen Gleeson had been speaking at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee on Tuesday evening, where she told councillors that homelessness would not be solved by unauthorised groups handing out food.

“If they’re only getting a cup of soup and they’re homeless it isn’t helpful,” she said.

Gleeson also said:

Let’s be under no illusion here, when somebody becomes homeless it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes years of bad behaviour probably, or behaviour that isn’t the behaviour of you and me.

When asked about these comments by RTÉ’s Seán O’Rourke, Gleeson said she meant ”chaotic behaviour”.

What I meant was that somebody becomes homeless for whatever reason. They’re on the street, they’re begging, they’re behaving in a way that isn’t the way everybody else behaves. There’s issues – they have health issues, or whatever they have.

She later told Newstalk’s Ciara Kelly, she “could have probably used better language”.

‘An insult’

Her comments, particularly those in relation to “bad behaviour” having caused a person’s homelessness, have drawn massive criticism from homeless activists and organisations and from councillors.

Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke, Fr Peter McVerry said her assertion that people don’t become homeless overnight was incorrect. He described her comments as “an insult to many homeless people”.

“The majority of people do become homeless overnight. They become homeless because the landlord evicts them, because they cannot afford to pay the rent or because the landlord says they’re selling their house or because the banks have re-possessed the landlord’s house because the landlord hasn’t paid their mortgage.”

He said Gleeson has said that the executive wants people to engage with the services, but “the services are awful and inadequate”.

Inner City Helping Homeless, one of the organisations which does soup runs in the city at night, said Gleeson’s comments were “devoid of any humanity, but are also factually incorrect”.

There are many families, including small children, that have literally become homeless overnight due to unexpected evictions by landlords, banks or vulture funds. Last night alone ICHH paid for a family of five to get accommodation for the night when hotel rooms were at a minimum due to the world cup play off match.

‘Offensive’

The Workers’ Party also weighed in on the debate, urging Gleeson to “apologise or resign”.

“She seems to regard the people she is supposed to be providing services for as undeserving pariahs who have created their own homelessness and who deserve neither sympathy nor support,” the party said in a statement.

The chair of the council’s housing committee, Daithí Doolan, described Gleeson’s comments as “unprofessional” and “offensive”.

“She should withdraw her comments and issue an immediate apology to Dublin’s homeless population,” he said.

“The two biggest causes of homelesses are a lack of affordable social housing and a lack of support for people in rental accommodation,” he told TheJournal.ie.

“I’m not looking for people’s heads to roll on this, but she needs to withdraw that comment and issue a full and complete apology.”

‘Taken aback’

Councillor Christy Burke said he was “taken aback” by the remarks and defended Gleeson, telling TheJournal.ie that he has found her to be “compassionate and professional” in the ten years he has worked with her.

He said Gleeson had spoken to him just yesterday about a number of sensitive cases and that she would always take a call, at any time of the day or night.

“When she was manager of the central area committee, she dealt professionally in the frontline and was not afraid to get her hands dirty,” he said.

“When I heard about the comments, I was taken aback because that’s not the Eileen Gleeson I’ve been dealing with, and if it was it was human error.”

In a statement, the council said it “fully stands by” Gleeson’s comments at the Joint Policing Committee meeting.

“Dublin City Council recognises the genuine commitment of the significant amount of voluntary work carried out across the city, as people seek to provide additional help for homeless people,” it said.

The complexities of homelessness need to be understood and acknowledged by all those involved in responding to homelessness, particularly those that operate, plan and develop services. The DRHE is charged with responding to homelessness and ensuring that there are appropriate structures and services in place.

“Among the many challenges we face, is linking homeless people to professional and structured services, where long term positive outcomes are more achievable.  This is particularly pertinent to those experiencing long term homelessness or those that have difficulty engaging with services.

“It is critical that we engage with the people that need our services to provide more tailored supports that address their specific needs, so as to progress them from homelessness to a more appropriate housing solution.”

Read: ‘I am absolutely furious’ – Fr Peter McVerry criticises Taoiseach and senior council official for homeless comments>

Read: Gerry Adams: ‘Instead of being a Taoiseach for the elites, can’t you become a Taoiseach for the homeless?’>

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Homer's imp son
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:26 PM

    Articles like these only perpetuate this nonsense

    193
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    Mute Tweed Cap
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:33 PM

    Multiple clown sightings around the Kildare Street area.

    172
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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Oct 12th 2016, 9:05 PM

    Pull up at the lights not do long ago. Looked left and noticed a clown fully dressed up in the next car. On his way to a kids party no doubt. I lowered the windows and beeped the horn. His shoulders dropped and his head bowed. He looked at me with a “I’ve heard it all before” look. I asked him “how the fook do you drive in them shoes”. He actually smiled and drown off like a clown.

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    Mute Normal Josephine
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    Oct 12th 2016, 11:12 PM

    A few around dame street too I believe

    4
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    Mute Darren McDonnell
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:23 PM

    The world has gone f*ckin mental

    95
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    Mute David Conroy
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:42 PM

    “Ronald, your’e fired ! And you too Donald ”

    38
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    Mute John Collins
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    Oct 12th 2016, 8:36 PM

    @Darren McDonnell: Generation of pussies thanks to political correctness and liberals.

    22
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    Mute Aaron Gibson
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    Oct 13th 2016, 6:43 PM

    What ever happened to good oul lynching.

    1
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    Mute Barton Hobbes
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:20 PM

    Was under the impression he’d started it.

    45
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    Mute Dj
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:27 PM

    Next clown I see is getting a baseball bat to the head….repeatedly…till death.

    41
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    Mute Daniel Fontaine
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:29 PM

    @Dj:
    It’s reaching that point all right. Time to bring this circus to an end.

    41
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    Mute Thenaked Goose
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:32 PM

    But the only way to kill a circus is to go for the juggler…

    105
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    Mute Dj
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:38 PM

    My girlfriend has a fear of clowns like,she’s really bad..first time we met she told me but I sent her a pic of John Wayne Gacy in his clown suit..she fcked me right off on the phone..I knew there and then she was the one for me.

    24
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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Oct 12th 2016, 8:04 PM

    Urgh…. hipsters needing attention

    29
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    Mute Daniel Fontaine
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:24 PM

    Whenever my daughter (she’s six) is being obstreperous I say in a very stern voice:
    ‘If you don’t behave I’ll take you to McDonald’s and make you eat a burger’
    She quickly calms down.

    28
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    Mute Escay
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:39 PM

    Obste wha!? Bore off!!!

    48
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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Oct 12th 2016, 8:33 PM

    I’m assuming you have this conversation with your daughter while you’re on your way to Burger King. After all, with delicious flame grilled 100% Irish beef burgers served in a freshly baked bundy and a side helping of sumptuous golden potato chips, it really is the only choice. Burger King. Have it your way.

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    Mute kjholt
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    Oct 12th 2016, 9:43 PM

    The actual pain after reading this comment is a real thing..

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Oct 12th 2016, 8:02 PM

    They will be wearing their hoodies and trackies again once Halloween is over.

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    Mute Point Blank
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    Oct 12th 2016, 10:41 PM

    McDonald’s have killed more people over the years than any crazy clown could.

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    Mute Dónal O'Flynn
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    Oct 12th 2016, 10:29 PM

    Is that really the best photo of Ronald McDonald ye could get? That’s just a fat guy in an ill-fitting costume!

    Surely one from the McDonald’s website/press office would have been better?

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    Mute David Conroy
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    Oct 14th 2016, 8:28 AM

    No Donal, that’s what Ronald looks like now after his Happy Meals !

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    Mute james mc donagh
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    Oct 12th 2016, 7:58 PM

    Plenty of clowns in the Dail, must be those they are referring to

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    Mute Life in no motion
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    Oct 12th 2016, 11:34 PM

    Can’t sleep… clown’ll eat me….

    https://youtu.be/PZcfGRroiaA

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    Mute Peter Hargan
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    Oct 12th 2016, 8:17 PM

    I hear Jose Duterte has a remedy

    3
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