Woman who became a Liveline sensation has new homeless plan
A WOMAN who provoked astonishment on social media this week following her call-in to RTÉ’s Liveline has asked Housing Minister Simon Coveney to join her for a sleep-out on the streets of Dublin.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Áine O’Connor called on Mr Coveney to join her on the streets to see what it’s like for the homeless people who sleep there every night of the week.
‘I would like to ask Minister Coveney would he like to sleep with me next week. And there’s no need for people to get alarmed – I know he’s a married man and I’m not interested in him in any other way than sleeping on the street with me next week.
‘I’ve never done it. I find it incredulous that people who make policies around the homelessness issue have no idea what it’s like to sleep on the street in Dublin, or the surrounding areas, with no roof over their head.
‘How can those people make policies on issues they’ve never experienced?’ she asked.
Mrs O’Connor told Wednesday’s Liveline about coming across a 61-year-old woman sleeping rough outside the building where she is preparing to open a juice bar in Ranelagh, south Dublin.
The woman told Mrs O’Connor she had two degrees and had been homeless for two years after being forced to leave her home in Monkstown.
Mrs O’Connor then arranged for the woman to be taken by taxi to a B&B – for which she footed the bill.
The following day she contacted Mr Coveney’s office to alert the minister to the woman’s situation.
However, the following day the woman was once again preparing to sleep rough in Ranelagh.
On Friday, Mrs O’Connor returned to the airwaves to tell Liveline listeners that a team from the Peter McVerry Trust had arrived to bring the woman to homeless accommodation.
On the show she got into a heated debate with one Liveline caller who had worked with homeless people for the past 21 years.
The caller said there was no point giving someone a home until they have been given training in how to clean and pay bills.
She also urged listeners to call her personally. She said she wanted 7,000 listeners to agree to house one homeless person, claiming that this would wipe out homelessness in Dublin in an instant.
Ms O’Connor’s comments received a huge reaction on social media, with many accusing her of naivety and ignorance.
Talking yesterday to the MoS, Mrs O’Connor insisted that if everyone took the initiative as she did, they could bring about change for the homeless.
‘People say you can’t change it but I have changed one person’s life… if you can do it, then do it.’
Astonished reaction to her Liveline call