Charity drive to donate water refunds to homeless

THREE of Ireland’s best-known homelessness charities are joining forces to form a national campaign asking the Irish public to donate their refunds from Irish Water to tackle the homelessness crisis in Ireland.

The Simon Community, Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust are planning a nationwide fundraising campaign to coincide with the upcoming Irish Water national repayment scheme, which will see €173million returned to almost one million Irish Water account holders over the coming months.

The charities intend to launch The Refund Project, a campaign which is asking people who can afford it to consider donating to help more than 8,000 homeless people in Ireland, including more than 3,000 children.

Kieran Mulvey, chairman of the oversight group that will help to lead the campaign, said: ‘Homelessness is the greatest social problem facing post-recession Ireland.

‘Focus Ireland, Peter McVerry Trust and the Simon Community are at the forefront in trying to deliver muchneeded investment in housing infrastructure for the thousands of people who currently have no place to call home.

‘We know that almost one million people are in line for Irish Water refunds and we believe that some would be open to donating their money to such an i mportant initiative.

‘This initiative could create a lasting and more positive outcome to the negative legacy of the recession years and provide that most fundamental of rights – a home.’

Between December 2014 and June 2015, there was a 112% net increase in the number of people recorded as homeless.