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LAST UPDATE | 28 Aug 2020
THE NUMBER OF people in Ireland in emergency accommodation rose again last month, according to latest figures from the Department of Housing.
New homeless statistics show that 8,728 individuals were in emergency accommodation in July – a rise of 29 on the figures from June.
It reverses a trend in recent months, beginning with March, which saw the number of homeless people fall below 10,000.
Last month, there were 6,077 adults and 2,651 children in emergency accommodation. Within these figures were 1,142 families.
Charities warned in July that consecutive falls in the monthly figures would be reversed when the government ended the moratorium on evictions and rent freezes.
The ban expired on 1 August, and there have been reports of controversial evictions occurring in Dublin this month.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on housing Eoin Ó Broin claimed that the figures showed the Government’s decision to lift the ban on evictions and rent increases was “premature”.
“The figures were on a downward trend with the Covid-19 restrictions in place and while I hope this rise will not continue for next month’s figures, I think it will be inevitable due to the row back of protections for renters,” he said.
Also commenting on the figures, Dublin Simon Community urged the Government not to forget about people whose tenancies were in crisis before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The slight rise in the July emergency accommodation numbers is a cause for concern,” CEO Sam McGuinness said.
“We are at a critical moment here. We must catch these people before they fall down the well of homelessness, because it is immensely difficult to climb back out.
“A winter like never before is coming and these people simply cannot be left out in the cold.”
Focus Ireland called on the Government to re-introduce eviction bans and rent freezes until the 19 virus is controlled.
“The last six months have proved that one of the best defences against Covid-19 is a stable home,” CEO Pat Dennigan said.
“Measures such as the moratorium on evictions and rent freezes have clearly worked as the number of children and adults who are homeless has reduced significantly in the last five months.
“Since the lapse of the initial ban on evictions and rent reviews, our services are now meeting tenants who are facing notices of terminations and evictions which is deeply concerning.”
CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn said this afternoon that the figures are underestimating the extent of the problem and that the situation will worsen.
“We are to see a tsunami coming at us hard and quick and we will not be prepared . Numbers in relation to rough sleepers are not factored in and we have seen a 50% increase in this number,” he said.
“With 164 people sleeping rough on one night last week. Figures also don’t include domestic violence shelters, direct provision centres or couch surfers and are completely disingenuous overall.”
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‘Amsterdam is trying to weed out…’ I see what you did there!
My mother was a Hells Angel back in her day.
You can find them doing great work in the UK they bring easter eggs to kids in hospital, there could be over 30 bikes. Even in the USA recently they joined in with anonymous to protect newton from the westboro baptist church.
They are really just a bunch of people who like bikes, most are honest hard working individuals they’re a few who are a bit rowdy. You cant paint them all with the same brush.
It’s the men who are the members, women are just hangers on. I’m not joking by the way.
Sure, we’ll have them to dinner after all. People in glass houses….., shrapnel riddled, shot gun peppered glass houses.
Suppose things were different 47 years ago, each area had there own members. Well they did in the west midlands, have an old photo of my mom, the bike her boyfriend (leader of the pack) and 2 other mates. She was always a bit of a rebel / tom boy.
No, it’s always been the same. Being honest it’s not something to be telling anyone that your mother was involved with the hells angels considering how they *ahem* pass around women.
@ Karla – As far as I know, there was never a HA Chapter in Ireland ( rep ), only in the North. Where was your mother’s man’s chapter based?
There is one now, I seen a lad wearing the colours about 2 weeks ago in Dublin. They are well established up north but only recently moved south of the border.
I think karla means west midlands, as in Birmingham…
They may not be a problem elsewhere but in the Netherlands they are a criminal gang and are involved in hard drugs.
A friend of mine lost his apartment in Amsterdam and had to hide out in my front room until he could borrow enough money to get out of the country, his “crime”? He lent some money to someone who turned out to be involved with the Hells Angels and wanted to be paid back.
Near Birmingham – black country… Im sure you noticed that I didn’t say ‘my dad’… She left him after 2 years.
Google “the great Nordic biker war”
@ Karla – Thanks for the answer. My brain got stuck at “midlands”. Getting old….
@karla the hells angels are murdering drug dealing thugs . A few teddy bears won’t change that .
I personally watched Hell’s Angels stomp a 19 year old woman half to death. She lost her spleen, four teeth and various other internal injuries. Because they thought she had some jewelry (which, it turns out she didn’t) that belonged to one of their members. Those who did the stomping eventually found their way into San Quentin. Why didn’t I intervene? I had a .45 automatic pointed at my head.
Gotta love those HA boyz, eh? Real knights of the road.
When them lads tell ya that the form isn’t filled in properly you take them at their word!!
AMSTERDAM IS TRYING to weed out – thats ironic :)
I hope this isn’t going to cause all bikers to be tagged as bad. The Waterford FreeWheelers do amazing work every year for charity. Good people.
They should hire the naked man that threw the puppy at a group of Hells Angels and escaped on a JCB. He’ll put the fear of god into them!
@ Reginald’s tower the hells angels are an outlaw motorcycle gang , they are a criminal organization . The freewheelers are a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who do charity runs for the council for the blind and other charities , the two cant even be compared .
Obviously they can’ be sacked! Then it would be open season on any civil servant involved in any extralegal groups the government didn’t like. Any sinn feinn supporting civil servants should start packing…
How about every single fg member for forcing poverty and death on people
Can’t be a member of a political party as a civil servent.
Josoph why would that matter no other rules are obeyed by fg such low life people
@pog mo thoine -how have FG caused death? They’ve just had to make tuff choices because of our massive deficit.
You can be a member of a political party and be a civil servant. You just can’t take an active role in politics i.e you can’t run for elections.
Tough
“You can be a member of a political party and be a civil servant. You just can’t take an active role in politics i.e you can’t run for elections”
No, you can’t, if you’re at EO level or higher. Membership of political parties is prohibited as part of your conditions of employment.
SF is a legitimate party that stands up for the people of this country and our brothers in NI when the other parties where ignoring the injustice and imposing censorship on the media here to cover up their inactions. FF & FG are two dinosaurs only happy feeding on the carcase of Ireland. If anything all public servants should have a allegiance to the citizens of this state and not political parties
Sorry Jack, as Frank says you can’t, I am an EO and its in the terms and conditions of my contract of employment.
I can think of a better hobby or two to be doing in Amsterdam other than being in ‘hells’angels’
I don’t think “hobby” is the right word.
Ok just for you, I’ll call it an after school activity…
Would you describe organized crime as a hobby?
Yes. You’ve clearly never met John The Part Time Don.
Can’t say I have. Sounds intriguing. What does he do for a day job?
The original hells angels were a bunch o military veterns who felt like outsiders to the country they fought for, like the yanks screw all their military. Ive ridden with some these ( I have a 1945 Indian) blokes and gypsy jokers and banditos, all I can say is they dont fek with peeps w/o a reason.
Michael, the G.I. Bill was for all who served in ww2. Some people you just can’t help.
Hunter S. Thompsons ‘Hell Angels’ is terrific read and insight into the ‘lifestyle’ of biker gangs and there early Oakland origins.
Very true. Gotta love hunters style..
I’ve read two books on outlaw biker gangs written by undercover ATF agents and I’ll bet any money the guys in question will, if forced to, give up the civil service job before they give up the Angels.
I used to frequent a pub in London where some of the local chapter were employed as bouncers, never any trouble in that place. The bikers and I were the only patrons who were served our beer in glasses, everyone else had to make do with those awful plastic containers used at concerts.
The president of the chapter had a tarantula he kept in a cigarette box, at closing time if a group of girls were taking too long to leave he would go over to their table, have a bit of a chat, take out a cigarette, light it, and leave what appeared to be an empty box on the table. About a minute or two later much screaming and shouting from the girls as a hairy, eight-legged creature the size of your hand, emerged from the cigarette box.
If I started a biker gang who would like to join? We could just buzz around helping people and watchin our Mpg.
I’m thinking Adebayos Angels?
Your asking for trouble doing that. MCs don’t think that carry on is funny, it’s all very serious.
What about Croke Park agreement?
Doesn’t apply in other countries.
Funny that.
When a country has little other problems….. Motorbike gangs!
Big problem in continental Europe; especially in North Germany and Denmark. Have a quick search on the Internet and you’ll find more than enough information. They’re not fun loving rebels, and haven’t been for a long time; they’re a highly organized criminal organization. The only reason they’re not a big deal in Ireland is that their place in society was already filled by the IRA, and it wasn’t in either side’s interests to go head-to-head.
Sorry, yeah I know, they’re a problem in Sweden too! I was more pointing to the fact that they’re a bunch of bored adults, with no sensible cause and nothing better to do than gang together and cause mayhem.
A lot of it, yes, but I’d reckon the smarter ones who’ve gotten a bit higher-up are into it for the money, not the image. The image is what stops them being thought of as just another mafia.
Lisbeth Salander had an awful time with the gurriers.
IRA head to head with the bikers?? Nikolas seriously…
Atrocious carry on ‘ over here they would be vetted ‘ only family members get jobs like that
A hells Angel who is a civil servant just proves how lazy civil servants are even hardened criminals joining up rather then ride there bikes
The Devil’s Disciples are a well established biker crew in Ireland. The Angel’s did attempt to open a chapter here about 18 months ago or so but they got nowhere.
apostrophe in wrong place there hehe. I meant the plural d’oh
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