Sir, - It was appalling to read your report of homelessness, particularly among women, in the midst of an exultant culture of unprecedented wealth. Our capital city is not the only place where women are forced out of their temporary shelter throughout the day. In Galway, for example, the social services used to have a shelter for single women open 24 hours a day; but there are now so many homeless women with children that these get priority and homeless women without children are no longer able to find space there. The only refuge left for them is Bethlehem House, run by the Legion of Mary on a voluntary basis and dependent upon the good will of a few caring women to keep it going at night. It is not possible for these women to work there all day - they have their own families and their own jobs. The result is that the hostel has to be closed from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
I bet that Galway is not the only city that has to rely on Catholic charity in this way. How dare the Government so blatantly exploit the unwaged work of devoted women - work which ought to be the responsibility of the social services? And how dare the Government force homeless women out on the streets every day?
The solution is quite simple. It needs only political will and a national plan. A quick estimate: Bethlehem House could be kept open 24 hours a day if the authorities were to bring it under the umbrella of the social services and devote £560 a week to the provision of a paid staff. - Yours, etc., Margaretta D'Arcy,
St Bridget's Place Lower, Galway.