The President, Mrs Robinson, yesterday officially opened the extended and refurbished night shelter for homeless men run by the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Back Lane, off Patrick Street in Dublin. The refurbishment, which cost £1.5 million, replaces the dormitory accommodation provided since 1915 with single room accommodation for 69 men every night of the year.
Thirty two of the men are permanent residents, mainly over 55 years of age, for whom the "Back Lane" is their home. The other 37 rooms in a newly built block are for casual residents aged between 26 and 45. To cater for the growing problem of youth homelessness, two rooms are reserved for those aged between 18 and 25.
The Department of the Environment provided £1.45 million for the refurbishment, while the society itself spent £150,000 in furnishing and re equipping the shelter, which is staffed by 30 volunteer members of the society.