GAGGING ORDER ON HOMELESS CHARITIES SPEAKING TO MEDIA WITHOUT PERMISSION IS REMOVED
A GAGGING order inserted into the funding arrangements of homeless charities by Dublin City Council officials has been removed, the Sunday Independent can reveal.
The country’s largest homeless organisations, such as the Peter McVerry Trust and Focus Ireland, must sign up to service level agreements (SLAs) in order to receive State funds to provide State services such as drug treatment centres and family hubs.
During negotiations last year, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) proposed a number of restrictions on the charities’ ability to speak to the media. If the organisations signed the SLAs they would have to clear a press release with the executive.
They would also have to attain permission from the DRHE before allowing any researchers or journalists on to their premises.
Following almost two years of talks, a new agreement has been put in place that has removed the term ‘permission’ from the document.
A source close to the negotiations said homeless organisations not only provided services but acted as a voice for people who were “excluded and too often silenced”.
“We are delighted that the DRHE have agreed to withdraw their original proposal that homeless organisations would have to seek permission ‘in advance’ of making any comment on the services available to people who are homeless,” the source said.
“The DRHE also agreed to drop other proposed restrictions on research projects, media access to services and the engagement of service users with the media.”
Charities and nongovernmental organisations have accepted that it is “appropriate” to inform the DRHE of comments made around the services that they are paid to provide. The DRHE replaced the Homeless Agency in 2011. It is the lead statutory authority in the response to homelessness in Dublin and operates as part of Dublin City Council.
“The sector also recognises that the DRHE responded positively when the network raised our concerns with them, which suggests that the proposed restrictive clauses arose from an overzealous staff member rather than a deliberate conspiracy to gag the sector,” the source said.
Dublin City Council is expected to spend about €145.7m on homeless services this year, an increase of €8.7m.
There are a total of 6,024 adults and a further 3,867 children homeless nationwide, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Housing.
Efforts to reach the DRHE for comment were unsuccessful.