No economic recovery evident at Capuchin Centre

The depth of the State’s economic recovery has been questioned by a Capuchin brother involved in feeding hundreds of people in Dublin every day.

Br Kevin Crowley, of the Capuchin Day Centre, said there was "no difference whatsoever" when it came to the fortunes of those he encounters every day.

Speaking at Áras an Uachtaráin, where he attended the launch of a report on President Michael D Higgins’s ethics initiative, Br Crowley said: “For instance, this morning, just before I came up here, we had about 300 for breakfast and we’ll have something in region of about 500 for dinner in the afternoon.

“And as well as that, this morning a family came in to me who were on the verge of being evicted. Six in the family and no food. Desperate. The wife was crying. The husband has lost his job and is looking for a job, and it’s impossible for him to find work.”

He said he had also met somebody who had lost their business but he also regularly heard politicians saying, "Look, we're welcoming people back to Ireland. "

“What are they welcoming them back for? Where are they going to get employment and where are they going to get housing?”