Sleeping rough increases as unit closes

There has been a "definite increase" in the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin since the closure of the Homeless Person's Unit, according to a spokesman for Focus Ireland.

Mr Kieran Stenson, manager of the housing charity's drop-in centre, said that since the unit closed last month many homeless people had been "effectively left to fend for themselves with no point of access to the statutory services".

The unit provided welfare and accommodation-finding services to homeless people. Though operated by Dublin Corporation it was managed and staffed by employees of the Northern Area Health Board. The staff have been redeployed in community welfare offices around the city.

Homeless people have been advised since last month to call a freephone number to access the services. However, according to Mr Stenson and other voluntary housing workers, the phone number, 1800 724724, has been "impossible to get through to. It is either constantly engaged or, if it does ring, it rings out," said Mr Stenson.

"We have been inundated with people looking for us to help them. We had one guy in here on Tuesday and we were just ringing constantly from noon until just before 4 o'clock when we finally got through."

A spokeswoman for the Northern Area Health Board said problems with the free phone line would be eliminated by this morning.

"The number of lines have been increased to cope," she said. It is understood there will be eight lines where there had been two.

She said the number of people accessing the Charles Street service had doubled from 680 in the first three months of the year to 1,273 in the second quarter.

"Traditionally clients attending Charles Street were dependent on social welfare as their main source of income. In recent months there has also been a significant increase in the number of persons attending the unit who are in full-time, low-paid employment who cannot provide for their accommodation needs from their own resources," she said.

Staff refused to work at the unit on July 10th, citing health and safety concerns. Conditions in the building, described as cramped, under-ventilated and oppressive, had been a source of contention and had led to a number of walk-outs by staff.

Dublin Corporation has agreed to provide a replacement venue for the Homeless Persons Unit though, according to Mr Patrick Bolger, chairman of the Eastern Regional Health Authority branch of IMPACT, "no early date" has been mentioned for the opening of a new venue. It is understood sites in James's Street and Wellington Quay are being examined.

Among those affected by the unit closure was Stephen (21), from Walkinstown. He arrived at the Focus Ireland drop-in centre yesterday afternoon. The welfare cheque he usually picks up at Ormond Quay post office had not arrived. He was unable to go to the Charles Street unit to sort the problem out and was unable to get through on the phone.

"I haven't a bean," he said. "The £84 is the only money I get. So I've no money for a hostel, so I suppose I am going to have to sleep rough again. They just said at the post office to come back tomorrow and see if it's there. I probably would've got it sorted if I could have got to Charles Street," he said.

A couple, both 18, at the drop-in centre yesterday, had slept on Tuesday night in a latenight pool hall, having been unable to access services by phone. The spokeswoman for the NAHB said new office accommodation would be provided but the problem of ensuring beds would be available remained to be addressed. "It's no good having office space and staff to find the beds if no new beds are coming on stream," she said.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to provide emergency beds. A spokesman for Dublin Corporation said there were 650 hostel beds and 1,500 B&B beds for the homeless in the city.

However, there is a constant population of 400 hostel dwellers and 1,400 people living in B&Bs.