THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY of a building leased to the Department of Social Protection has rejected suggestions that it installed barriers outside to prevent homeless people sleeping around the premises.
There was criticism of the decision to install the barriers earlier this week, with homeless charity ICHH describing it as an “unsympathetic way of dealing with the homeless crisis”.
However the Department of Social Protection clarified to TheJournal.ie that the works to the front of Gandon House on Amiens Street in Dublin were being undertaken by the landlord.
In a statement this afternoon, the management company said the installation of the railings was “in direct response to public safety concerns relating to daytime public order and anti-social behaviour issues in the immediate vicinity of the public bus stop, located to the front of the building”.
It stressed that it was not an attempt to target the homeless community in any way.
The company’s explanation was backed up by a woman standing at the bus stop outside the building, who regularly waits there for her bus home. Speaking to TheJournal.ie, she said groups of people who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol often gathered on the ledge outside the Department of Social Protection office.
“They’re always hanging around here, causing havoc,” she said. “It seems to have been a bit better since they [the barriers] were put in”.
In its statement, the management company added that it is “totally sympathetic to the plight of the homeless and was careful during the works not to interfere in any way with the area occupied by the homeless individual who continues to sleep at the building periodically”.
It said it had no intention of adding in any way to what is a difficult personal situation and has been in touch with a number of the support services and charitable organisations in relation to providing assistance to the individual involved.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say