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49 Seville Place Google Maps.

Dublin north inner city locals object to charity homeless support centre opening in their area

Residents of North Wall lodged an official appeal after planning permission was granted for a new facility.

RESIDENTS IN DUBLIN’S north inner city are objecting to a planned charity advice centre opening in their area.

Residents of North Wall – which encompasses Sheriff Street, Crinan Strand, Seville Place and other areas – in Dublin say a new information and advocacy service will displace a community creche that has been operating in the area for 17 years.

The residents lodged an official appeal after planning permission was granted for the new facility, which will be run by social support charity Crosscare – the official charity of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

The facility will be located at No. 49 Seville Place. Permission was granted for the refurbishment of the building in December, with a view to Crosscare opening its service there.

The building in question belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin (effectively it is Crosscare’s building).

A Crosscare spokesperson said that the building will:

Provide direct information and advocacy services in the areas of housing, homelessness, social welfare, immigration issues, health and wellbeing-related issues for those most need of support.

In a submission to Dublin City Council objecting against the facility, local woman Elaine Dooley said that the facility would not be good for the area for a variety of reasons.

“Our local school sits right facing this building and the community are not happy about this and the fact that strangers will be in and out of our community all day every day,” Dooley said in the letter.

“Plus there is a creche on the premises and been there for the last 17 years. For their refurbishment to go ahead this creche will be put out and the staff and children will have nowhere to go.

“This creche should have been offered this building to also house our after school project.

Crosscare is not beneficial to our community.

The submission contains over 200 signatures of residents from the local area.

The North Wall Community Association also submitted an observation in relation to the centre, asking that strict conditions be attached to its opening.

“There is a large degree of concern and anxiety surrounding this proposal within the local population,” the association said.

“The North Wall has suffered over the last 30 years from a deliberate policy of social exclusion, lack of housing, lack of jobs – high levels of anti-social behaviour.

This proposal is being viewed in some quarters as a continuation of the longstanding policy of dumping.

Locals are worry that additional social supports services will be bad for the area, which already suffers from drug crime and antisocial behaviour.

Creche

Celine McCann set up the creche and the after school support programme on Seville Place 18 years ago as a response to a need in the community.

A local woman, she runs ASESP (the Afterschools Education & Support Programme)  for youths for ages three to 18 years.

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ASESP does not have its own dedicated centre and so the services are spread across a number of different buildings in the north inner city.

“We’re good for the community,” McCann told TheJournal.ie.

“To be honest with you we’ve had staff that left school at 14 who have gone on then to do degrees and they’re now here working for us permanently,” she said.

It’s causing a ripple effect across the entire community.

ASESP employs 35 staff and caters for 130 children from the area. It is mostly funded by the Department of Social Protection and Pobal.

McCann said she has been fighting for years to try to get a dedicated building for all of the services she provides but has had a lot of trouble sourcing a place.

Nine staff work with 32 children at the facility on Seville Place.

“Because we know Crosscare are moving into the parish priest’s house we’ve been looking for a new place,” McCann told TheJournal.ie.

A spokesperson for Crosscare said that McCann’s programme “no longer consider the building as a good base for their service”.

“Crosscare is working with them to find better accommodation locally. They will not move until a suitable building has been secured,” the spokesperson said.

McCann said that her Programme was being asked to leave by Crosscare and that they were effectively being evicted.

“We’ve been asked to leave [by Crosscare],” said McCann.

“We haven’t been given a date yet but we’ll know when we get one,” she said.

We’d like to leave if we had a purpose-built building – I don’t think Crosscare is going to wait that long. We’ll have to wait and see.

Objection 

Planning permission was granted for the refurbishment of the building on 14 December last year.

Elaine Dooley has since appealed that decision and it has been sent to An Bord Pleanála for a final ruling.

In her appeal, Dooley restates that she is writing on behalf of the community and lists the points she raised in the initial objection, as well as others.

“Crosscare will deal with unemployment, immigration and homelessness and will bring many transients into an already desperate community affected by strangers coming in to buy drugs at all hours,” Dooley said.

She also said losing the creche would be “a major blow to our young children and mothers in our area”.

Dooley also listed off a number of similar services that are already present in immediate the local area, which include:

  • An aftercare recovery group for recovering drug addicts next door
  • The Oasis and Deora addiction counselling services around the corner
  • A residential home for at risk teens across the road

As well as these, two local primary schools are located across the road from the building.

“Our community tries to its best to help one another and we feel it would be detrimental to this community if Crosscare moving in is allowed to happen,” said Dooley.

We as a community strongly appeal for the decision granted to Crosscare be overturned.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Dooley said that she understood that Crosscare did good work, but that the centre wasn’t needed in the area.

In response to queries, a Crosscare spokesperson said that it was planning a refurbishment of the building to locate its information and advocacy services.

“These vital services provide direct information and advocacy services in the areas of housing, homelessness, social welfare, immigration issues, health and wellbeing-related issues for those most need of support,” the spokesperson said.

They said that Crosscare was committed to working with the local community so that it could “provide the best service possible”.

“With this in mind, a public information meeting took place  in the local Parish Church of St. Laurence O’ Toole a number of weeks ago where Crosscare and parish staff spoke of the planned developments and answered questions from all who attended,” they said.

Dublin City Council said that its decision to grant the planning application had been appealed and that the final decision now rested with An Bord Pleanála.

Read: Apollo House will soon be a thing of the past as demolition work begins

Read: The firm behind Ireland’s largest homeless family hub was previously paid millions to run a Direct Provision centre

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32 Comments
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    Mute Des Doran
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:09 AM

    So much for charity begins at home

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    Mute Cathal
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    Feb 19th 2018, 1:00 AM

    @Des Doran: Sure we’ll open one up beside your gaff so seeing as you’re so interested in helping them. Send on your address there? Didn’t think so

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    Mute Mick Johnson
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    Feb 19th 2018, 6:43 AM

    @Des Doran: true stuff Des, don’t mind the bleeding heart there; difference is when you accept tax payer funding housing and social welfare you have less of a right to object.

    Crèche is probably free there anyway. Can’t see people on Sheriff street paying €1000 a month can you?!?

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    Mute Celine Mc Cann
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    Feb 19th 2018, 3:06 PM

    @Mick Johnson: What would you know about creche prices and who can or cannot afford to pay. Not only local children avail of this service and there is a scale of costs depending on a person’s income. Who are you to say a child that goes free is not entitled to have as good a chance for their future education and a child that pays?

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    Mute Johnny Bellew
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    Feb 19th 2018, 3:39 PM

    @Cathal: I work next door a similar type of centre and I have no problems whatsoever with it.

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    Mute Tomas
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:10 AM

    Put it in Sandymount…

    182
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:26 AM

    @Tomas:
    Aylesbury Road?

    118
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    Mute michael heery
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:30 AM

    @Tomas: thats not in the north side//

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    Mute michael heery
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:32 AM

    @P.J. Nolan: they never have to go for job interviews or get flats or eat beans and burgers or the gutter in london lik a lot of the rest of us…

    17
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    Mute Stephen Winterson
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    Feb 19th 2018, 6:00 AM

    Local residents are more worried about them giving out advice on getting a job.

    104
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    Mute Siobhán Ni Mhurchú
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:34 AM

    A lot of those things that crosscare want to provide would surely be a help to some of the people living in the area..

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    Mute Celine Mc Cann
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    Feb 19th 2018, 2:26 PM

    @Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: Of course it would help but the services they want to put in already exist in the community.

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    Mute DubKid
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    Feb 19th 2018, 7:58 AM

    In the past 3 years the North inner city has become a dumping ground by the government for homelessness & drug users & day care center, it’s sad to see all of this in our society/City but putting a Day Care facility, Wet Hostel, Needle Exchange Centre, all in the same area all within a 1 minute walk of each other in an area where there is a large children’s playground, primary school, children’s toyshop & Dublins largest shopping/tourist district is a terrible idea & nuisance on the area (Dublin 7) but the local authority & government still see fit to try put another one into the north inner city?
    What’s wrong with putting one in the south suburbs like Dalkey or just outside the north side of the city in Castleknock?

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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Feb 19th 2018, 10:31 AM

    @DubKid: yeah, the problems only started 3 years ago when the government settled drug addicts there….before that it was a tight knit crime and drug free community full of hard working tax payers and no scrotes and skangers around! LOL

    48
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    Mute Celine Mc Cann
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    Feb 19th 2018, 2:23 PM

    @DubKid: because it wouldn’t be tolerated that’s why? In my opinion, they’re being placed in disadvantaged areas as a form of containment. Contain the problem where the tourists and more affluent can’t see it. While the disadvantaged remain the poor relation and are considered the least intellectual, sure who’d object? It’s very disheartening for the community involved.

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    Mute Paul Moran
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    Feb 19th 2018, 1:36 AM

    Maybe it should be amongst the government buildings!! It shouldn’t displace services like a crèche and shouldn’t be across the street from a school doesn’t suit either.

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    Mute Maurice Geary
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    Feb 19th 2018, 2:32 AM

    Jaysus, moaners and whingers about everything.
    I didn’t like Bertie Ahern, but maybe he made a good point about those who are opposed to everyhing.

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    Mute Philip G Roark
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    Feb 19th 2018, 3:57 AM

    I thought the northside was already a homeless shelter.

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    Mute Róisín Daly
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    Feb 19th 2018, 6:13 AM

    I think the crèche should have first dibs of the place.

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    Mute The flute smoker
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    Feb 19th 2018, 5:59 AM

    It already has a drug rehab beside it , now put a cross care beside it then next year stick an abortion clinic beside that. My kids go to those schools and they love it ,great schools but theres alot of nasty vile people living around that area and no douth it will just be another spot for selling crack . that crosscare will bring more you can be sure of that .

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    Mute zahcbot
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    Feb 19th 2018, 1:39 AM

    The objector sounds like a lovely person.

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    Mute danny
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    Feb 19th 2018, 1:58 AM

    Put it next door to your kids and let’s see how “lovely” you sound

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    Mute Maurice Geary
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    Feb 19th 2018, 2:27 AM

    @danny: Sometimes I give up. With comments like yours we should just shut down the country and go to a more civilised country.

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    Mute zahcbot
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    Feb 19th 2018, 11:11 AM

    @danny: No problem with homeless people next door to my kids school. You next door to them however…..might have to pass on that one ;)

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    Mute Johnny Bellew
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    Feb 19th 2018, 3:42 PM

    @danny: I work next door to a similar centre and there has never been any problems associated with it. I am only there during work hours, mind you.

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    Mute Celine Mc Cann
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    Feb 19th 2018, 1:38 PM

    The write up failed to mention that there will be 7 counselling rooms in the crosscare plans when right next door houses both oasis counselling and deora counselling services. Why the overlap of most of the services already being provided? It’s ironic that a homeless service intends to evict a service that provide a safe environment for children, some of who are homeless themselves.

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    Mute Gary Casserly
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    Feb 19th 2018, 12:07 PM

    Open it in Dublin 4. Let them do their bit.

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    Mute Deano Cracow
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    Feb 19th 2018, 5:09 PM

    The RTE campus in Donnybrook would be an excellent site for the homeless support centre. Our national broadcaster would be able to follow through on all the virtue signalling it has been engaging in with regard to the homeless over the last year.
    Don’t hold your breath just inhale the ceaseless hot air.

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    Mute Celine Mc Cann
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    Feb 19th 2018, 3:52 PM

    Thanks for the write up Cormac. You touched on most of the main points in this intricate multi-faceted community and it’s constant struggles. There are a lot more issues that could be mentioned so the general public would have a deeper insight into the amazing work done daily. But the ignorant social media trolls would surely have a sarcastic remark simply to annoy and berate a society they know very little of.
    I hope the powers that be can assist us in our immediate issue. Thanks again Cormac.

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    Mute thejamer
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    Feb 19th 2018, 4:37 PM

    Levels of homelessness in more affluent areas are very low.
    Great idea to put this in Dalkey the walk would do them (the homeless) good.
    Granted didn’t Sockie object to apartments in his constituency, so the people of that area are right to object.

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Feb 19th 2018, 3:06 PM

    Saw some empty premises on Dawson st.

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    Mute Daniel Bohan
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    Feb 19th 2018, 8:33 PM

    Has anyone here every given their spare room to a homeless person? I have, numerous times when weather is bad. Not a single regret. Open your eyes and mind, you might be surprised. I don’t care where they put these places as long as everyone is warm dry and fed.

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