Plans for homeless hostel delayed as Dublin locals object

Dublin City Council is seeking an urgent hearing of a legal challenge to a planned new hostel for the homeless.

The “dial-a-bed” hostel, located in the converted Carman Hall community centre building in Francis Street, was due to open last week but that was delayed when a number of local people took legal action.

The court granted leave ex parte (one side only represented) to challenge the plan and adjourned the matter to January with the leave order acting as a stay on the opening.

The application was made by the Carman's Hall Interest Group, the Michael Mallin House Residents Association, and a youth and community worker, Elizabeth O Connor.

On Monday, the council asked the court for an early hearing, either of its application to either lift the stay or of the full judicial review challege.

James Connolly SC, for the council, said the matter was urgent given the time of year and the need to provide accommodation for the homeless. The 65-bed Carman Hall facility was one of four in the city being set up to help address homelessness, said counsel.

Development plan

Niall Handy, for the residents, said the essence of the challenge was that approval of the hostel involved a material contravention of the city development plan.

Counsel said he had no objection to the case getting an early hearing, but wanted until Wednesday to prepare.

Mr Justice Seamus Noonan said, given the urgency of the matter, he would put it in for mention on Tuesday when an early hearing date could be arranged.

The residents claim that locating the hostel as proposed would mean an undue concentration of services for homeless people, and those with addiction problems, within a very small area of the south inner city.

They say the local area already has 12 homeless and social support services crammed within 500m of the centre’s location.