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AN AUDIT OF homelessness in Dublin on the night of 7 November found 184 people sleeping rough.
That figure represents the highest on record since the official count began in 2007. It is also double the figure seen during the winter of 2015.
The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) reported the figure today at the launch of its Cold Weather Strategy.
It said it is now in the process of providing an extra 200 permanent emergency beds in the capital.
“All of these beds will be brought into use over the coming weeks and all will be in place by 18 December,” it said in a statement.
The Peter McVerry Trust, responding to the record number, called for a greater response to the needs of single people.
“The figure of 184 is very disappointing and it’s clearly not acceptable,” chief executive Pat Doyle said.
The figure show a rise of 42 on last year’s winter rough sleeper count. The count is carried out twice yearly across the four Dublin local authorities – in November and spring.
The infographic on the DRHE website for the latest spring count found 161 people sleeping rough in Dublin. However, this number differs from a figure of 138 that was given and reported on – including in TheJournal.ie - at the time.
A spokesperson confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the infographic was in error and that the number of recorded rough sleepers being used is 138.
The additional number came from a “unique group” of 23 non-nationals who were found sleeping rough and were being repatriated at the time.
The infographic has since been amended to reflect this:
October figures
Figures have also been released today on the number of homeless people and families staying in state-funded emergency accommodation in October.
In total, there were 5,298 adults and 3,194 children staying in emergency accommodation during a single week in the month.
This marks a rise of 48 adults and 70 children on September.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said that the number of families in commercial hotels and B&Bs in Dublin was now at 676 (down from 690 in September).
Commenting on the figures, Murphy said that Ireland “continued to face a crisis in homelessness” but that “the situation is beginning to look like it’s stabilising in Ireland”.
“We continue to face a crisis in homelessness,” he said.
“However the situation is beginning to look like it is stabilising in Dublin, which is where our homeless problem has been most severe.
The numbers continue to increase outside of Dublin however and so we must take the actions that have arrested the increase in Dublin and apply them elsewhere.
Director of advocacy Mike Allen said that the charity welcomes the additional new beds that are being opened, but said that they showed that government was “constantly reacting to the problem rather than taking more immediate action to solve it”.
“It is really disappointing that despite the fact that the Government is talking about Housing First is the solution to rough sleeping while all the time opening more and more emergency beds,” he said.
CEO of the Dublin Simon Community Sam McGuinness said that the figures were “concerning and disappointing”.
“However we welcome the Ministers’ announcement of an extra 200 permanent emergency beds in the capital to address the demand,” he said.
Depaul CEO Kerry Anthony said that the figures were “extremely worrying”.
“Homelessness is a complex issue and needs a consistent, holistic approach,” she said.
While these Rough Sleeper figures are cause for concern, it is essential that we remain committed to Rebuilding Ireland and that policy makers take heed of the recommendations of voluntary organisations like Depaul in order to make progress.
Cold Weather Strategy
The DRHE also launched its Cold Weather Strategy today for increasing supports for homeless people during the winter period.
As well as the announcement of 200 additional beds, it said there would be enhanced service operations throughout the cold weather period.
These include additional emergency responses for any families that find themselves homeless; increased staffing for housing intakes and outreach teams; and agreements with service providers that additional temporary shelter can be brought into use across a range of existing services and facilities.
With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald
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Is this really breaking news?
@Joseph Bloggs: it certainly is the most significant push notification I’ve received in a long time. It’s also the announcement of the publication of a significant census. Why wouldn’t it beeaking news or push notification worthy?
Maybe the Journal could open it’s office at night for rough sleepers?
@Don Shavago: the bleeding hearts are there to bleed. not to help
@Jayo Breathneach: it would keep them warm. Are you against that?
@Don Shavago: maybe we could get the journal to house the homeless and the government to write news articles?
@Mark: the Journal are good people who care about the homeless. I’m sure they’d open their office to solve this problem in the short term and at least keep these people warm at night
@Don Shavago: then tomorrow’s headline on the now government run news site would read : Homelessness drops 50% we did it!
@Jayo Breathneach: maybe you have a spare bedroom? We only need 200 volunteers?
@Mark: are you offering a bedroom too?
I don’t understand homelessness in this day and age. Even Leo Varadkar will tell you you can buy an affordable house for €315k
@Maggie O’Connor: it’s simple when FF broke the country , you could not give a house away, now the economy is flying people want to work and live here,so house prices go up
@Robert Harris: FF did break the economy. FG are destroying society. And only the few are getting any benefit from the economy.
@Robert Harris: FF drove the bus over the cliff.
FG rifled through the pockets of the survivors
@Robert Harris: And that very rich man Michael Nooan told his rich friends how to get richer by capitalising on Ireland’s woes. He enticed hedge funds to plunder everything.
@Jho Harris: Noonan
I love to get a break down of the nationality, sex, age and back ground to why – drug abuse, mortgage arrears etc.
I think this might help in finding the source of the problem and addressing it there and not when on the streets
@B9xiRspG: lack of affordable and social housing would be a start
There’s 62000 people homeless in New York.
@Graham: sure that’s alright then
@Graham and your point is!?
@Graham:
NYC version of Rough Sleeper count is actually 3,892 (early 2017) pretty good for a city of 8.5m compared to London (4,134) with same population. Or Stockholm (4,500) with 1.5m people…
Dublin has 600,000 and 184 rough sleepers – little wonder EU states are praising us(!)
@Graham: 8 million people in NY. 4.4 million here and approaching 20,000 and climbing.
Majority of them have an empty bottle of whiskey beside them. It’s their choice.
@Big bad bull: by its definition any addiction is not a choice. Using your reasoning maybe we should stop medical treatment for those who smoked and are now ill with cancer..
@Big bad bull: An article on homelessness and the shills are out in force so slander the homeless.
No shills to be seen on other articles though. All to cowardly to show up and defend the government.
@Big bad bull: ya sure lets instead import 1000s and 1000s of middle eastern and African migrants and put them up at the tax payers expense, instead of helping our own find accommodation and kick their addiction problems…maybe if our homeless were giving a chance they would not have to stare down the neck of a whiskey bottle…. Our resources are being used to fund problems that are not ours. Now the powers that be want to let every one that arrives here with no visas or documentation to be allowed to apply for what little jobs are out there till their 35 appeal process is exhausted.
@Dave Doyle: no just people who have a different opinion to you.that’s all
@Kerry Blake: Kerry Blake: Someone doesn’t become an addict overnight. I enjoy alcohol but I know when to stop & what time not to start.
@Big bad bull: evidence please
@Big bad bull: really, is that it?
@Jamie Jj Tobin: 1000s and 1000s of middle eastern and African migrants? where are you getting that from? You do know all black people in Ireland aren’t African right? I work with several black people in a tech company who are French, Dutch and German. Amount of ignorance in these comments section is bordering on criminal at times.
Sure its ok..there’s 185 in Burkino Faso
Yeah but Leo says that if you “redefine what we mean when we say homeless”, then that number goes way down so nothing to worry about. Nothing to see here. Move along. Check out his funny socks!
Doubled since 2015?? That is unbelievable. But be assured it is all their own fault, all their own doing. So says Leo,and the spin is kept going by the FG numpties here.
To many scandals, to much unaccounability, to many lies, to much spin.
Unless the government can deal with problems effecting its citizens, be it homeless, or health service or whatever. Then get out and get a mandate for allowing it to continue.
This country is going to the dogs with these politicians in gov.
Break the 200 by Christmas
Was that outlandish statement by Varadkar about ireland having one of the lowest levels of homeless in Europe made to make those 184 people feel better? “Don’t worry lads, you could be worse off elsewhere” on loop in 184 peoples heads as they shiver and sleep in puddles today. Their point blank ignorance to homelessness is shocking and very very sad.
@Robert Grant: I want to agree with you. But ignoring the bigger picture and focusing on Street Homeless or Rough Sleepers we are way down the list…
Unfortunately, this article doesn’t mention that alot of homeless shelters can’t accept those with to much drink or drugs taken for the safety of staff and others using the service, also hygiene issues are a problem. You need a very specialised type of shelter to house such people, it is heartbreaking to turn them away. Alot of other larger European cities have the same problem, Brussels for example is one such city, they cannot house addicts in normal shelters. Wet shelters have to be staffed by a larger number of staff, thus are very expensive to run, some charities will not even entertain the idea, while others just do not have the money.
@Conchuir O Maolchallann: most if not all Dublin shelters are wet. Part of the reason many would rather sleep rough.
Thats the real homeless people, not these people moaning cause there in hotels, havent they a roof over there head unlike the people on the streets.
@Pamela Lynch: yes Pamela….all those people moaning because their paycheck isn’t enough to cover the exorbitant rents being charged at the moment – the highest ever recorded! How dare they complain! They should be on their knees thanking the Great Varadker and the Country Of Opportunity for their families chance to live in one room with no cooking facilities. And they even get to pay tax! What are they complaining about???? You’re nothing but a cold hearted, bitter FG torie. Oh and by the way it should be ‘their’ not ‘there’.
@Elizabeth Gregory: stopped reading at paycheck as it made my sides split lol. Paycheck, classic.
@Elizabeth Gregory: Get a grip, theres a big difference between homeless on the streets and homeless in hotels
Fair play to The Journal for their consistent reporting of the homeless problem here and from the comments it seems to get the blue shirt supporters hot under the collar!
I hope those people in genuine need get the help they deserve.
Did anyone check how many of them are Irish. Mostly are eastern European with alcoholic and drug history. Coming here to get everything free.
If in doubt blame the foreigner.
It diverts attention from FG’s hatred of Ireland.
@Paddy Power: I agree
Not as bad as Monrovia though , eh Leo ?
Unfortunately it’s a sad fact for all cities even despite the best efforts of the authorities and charities trying to help but at least as our Taoiseach rightly pointed out we are not the worse in the world or even the EU.
https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/housing-network/2017/mar/21/homelessness-housing-problems-crisis-point-all-eu-countries-except-finland
@winston smith: it is not a “sad fact” that homelessness is an unavoidable reality. It is a natural consequence of government policy.
There needs to be proper coordination between voluntary groups perhaps even mergers between voluntary groups that will work with local authorities as one voice to combat homeless. It’s currently fragmented and local authorities are lacking direction. I don’t think it’s money it’s absolutely down to incompetents of those in positions to end this
@Ciaran Kenneally: What there needs to be is less pandering and looking after the building industry, the vulture funds, the banks, and the everything for profit brigade, and start governing on behalf of the citizens of the country.
That’s all it would take.
Things can only get worse with the lack of compassion that exists in so many people in this country.
@Catherine Mc: It’s not a lack of compassion. I feel for people who lost their job because of the economic collapse & consequently their home. I feel for people who cannot afford the rent in cities because of low pay. I don’t feel for people who decide to take Class A drugs or who overindulge in alcohol or who beat their partner & children so that they’re thrown out of their house. That doesn’t make me heartless. I work to keep a roof over my head so I’m not going to give my money to those that won’t.
@Cindy Crawford:
The vast majority of people work hard to keep a roof over their heads, the expression comes to mind ” there but for the grace god” …..
@Catherine Mc: No it’s not for the grace of God, it’s because I choose to work while I can. Do you think that the millions of people starving in the world is because they don’t deserve God’s grace?
@Cindy Crawford:
No I don’t, but the western world does try to live up to it’s obligations by helping third world countries with financial aid. I simply don’t like the stance of people who think certain people don’t deserve help. It’s up to our government to look after it’s citizens, we all pay taxes.
“Nothing to see here, this compares very favourably with Greece, etc… “
@Ben Coughlan: You should send your CV in to Leo’s department of PR with spin like that.
Rough sleepers = the real homeless..
It’s okay because there are homeless people in other countries. #leologic
One solution is the flat pack Madihome.Prices start at €28k.
https://www.madihome.com/copia-di-home
@Padraig: but Leo and his cronies don’t want solutions. They want homelessness. It keeps properties scarce and ensures the value keeps going up. That’s how FGFF policy works.
The Journal should donate their offices or give some funds to get them off the streets if they are so concerned
@Jim Harrington: The Journal is now a daily platform for the myriad of quangos that make up the homeless industry with high paid Directors of Advocacy all generally funded by the hapless taxpayer. Last week Fr McVerry was “outraged” this week its Mike Allen. Even the Apollo House guys are back in the media – however no one can say how the large donations they collected were disbursed.
Fine Gael as a political party truly hates Ireland.
So the homeless figures and rough sleeper numbers continue to rise, and that incompetent clown Eoghan Murphy claims that this crisis is ‘stabilising’
He is a truly abhorrent human being – just like Socky Varadkar.
I think it is time the countries of Africa record a Christmas song to house their fellow developing nation Ireland.
‘House the Irish, let them know it’s Christmas time’
Then we can send this to all the companies who are thinking about moving here, to strongly suggest they stay away from this corrupt, undeveloped dump of a country.
@Colin Morris: yes if we discourage the companies to set up here that will surely end homelessness and our infrastructure problem at once as we know it. You should get a job with the IDA, stellar thought process
@Niall Brew: Colin hasn’t really thought that one through,has he?
Disgraceful
As long as the rich get to pay less then then let them rot. As well as the health system etc
Politicians world wide are failing at their jobs,
We need new people that can replace them and got the job done properly.
@Barry O Neill:
A political revolution is needed.
Capitalism is as big a failure as communism was.
The rich are the enemy.
@Barry O Neill: so what do you suggest? dictators? Mullahs? Who are these “new” people?
Last year Dubliners took things into their own hands with the Home Sweet Home hostrl at Apollo House only to be stopped the government and the courts. It could have been useful for another 5 months before the demolition of the building in June. There are loads of empty building big enough to be hostels for homeless people around the city of Dublin why don’t they start a new hostel to house these people Glenn Hasard and the buys would be happy to help again as well as the tradesmen that did the same in Apollo House Home Sweet Home should have been expanded into a chain of hostels not shut down by greedy owners who hadn’t done anything to the building in years.
have your say