Council doing what it can to help homeless
EIGHTEEN rough sleepers were offered assistance by the county council as the bitingly cold weather set in last week.
But Cllr Davy Hynes said there were several others who could not so easily be accommodated because of past behavioural issues.
Cllr Hynes said he he was satisfied that the council was doing what it could as was Ozanam House which had set up three extra beds and taken in some rough sleepers to help improve the situation.
He said those the homeless shelter was unable to accommodate were being offered washing facilities and meals.
‘I’m happy that the council have stepped up to the mark in terms of the cold weather,’ he told this newspaper.
‘We are proposing that we should have more emergency accommodation, but the problem is that we haven’t got all the councillors on board and that there are more rough sleepers than some councillors want to admit,’ he said.
Activists representating homeless people in Wexford claimed that after being told the council would provide emergency accommodation, some were turned away and sent to Ozanam House when they arrived at the council offices.
‘ The only way we will solve ths problem is to provide more and better facilitities and certainly by this time next year this needs to be up and running,’ said Cllr Hynes.
In a statement, the county council said:
A total of 18 persons were identified at risk due to the cold weather.
· Some were offered and availed of emergency accommodation
· Some refused offer of services
· Some availed of other service – e.g. family, friends etc.
· Unfortunately, Some can NOT be offered emergency accommodation due to their past record, indiscretions and current issues · Some were not contactable
· All persons at risk contacted were offered showering and changing facilities and a hot meal. The housing section said it will continue to monitor and review the situation.