Ireland “cannot claim to be a progressive society if we choose to leave so many in poverty” - Bishop William Crean of Cloyne.
A ‘Mercy’ Christmas challenges us to ask whether we have done enough to make peace, to help relieve poverty, hunger, homelessness and the plight of refugees.
As the country prepares to welcome refugees, we are "challenged to engage with the poverty, homelessness sub-standard accommodation that many are living in".
Last year, students raised €183,000 for homeless charities and this year's sleep-out is to aid Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust and Home Again.
‘The Christmas Presence’ should be "compulsory reading for everyone before we rush off to do our Christmas shopping” - Fr Peter McVerry.
“Homeless families will end up having to sleep in Garda stations and hospital emergency departments for Christmas,” Jesuit warns.
“While families are flooding into homelessness, Ministers are bickering, arguing with one another and disagreeing with one another" - Fr McVerry.
“It is up to communities and parents to be as educated as possible to spot warning signs of drug abuse in teenagers and young adults.”
The number of older people coming to ALONE in need of housing increased by 90% in 2014.
Inadequate response to crisis makes McVerry Trust question "whether this Government are committed to helping people in homelessness".
Launching a book by Rev Gordon Linney, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin pays tribute to the Pontiff’s ability to “say things in a different way”.
Contribution of religious congregations to the efforts to eradicate human trafficking and provide care and support to victims recognised.
“The Taoiseach recently said the elimination of child poverty was a moral imperative for any government. Yet child poverty rates in Ireland are a national scandal."
“When a family with 3 children under the age of 5 are sleeping outside in a park somebody needs to hold their head in shame and resign. A heartbreaking sight.”
“We are satisfied that Mother Jones, if she was alive today, would have been very proud of Fr Peter for his ability to highlight the social injustice of homelessness.”
21,000 additional residential units required each year over the next three years to meet demand.
Demand for the centre’s services this year is “at its highest since the charity’s inception in 1969” and it hasn’t received any increase in government funding since 2007.
Jesuit concerned that the Government does not fully appreciate the scale and seriousness of the housing and homelessness crisis.
"In the coming months existing services will experience enormous strain and many of those entering homelessness will be children.”
Need for legislation to create ‘rent certainty’ in the private rented sector which would counter rent inflation.
The latest Department of Environment figures reveal 865 children living in hostels, B&Bs and hotels.
Fr Peter McVerry, Sr Stan Kennedy and Bro Kevin Crowley nominated collectively for their efforts to tackle homeless crisis.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to the Lord Mayor and his staff and to the many organisations working in this area of homelessness for what they have achieved in a short time."
SVP says Social Welfare representatives dealing with rent increases do not have sufficient authority to increase rent supplement.
New residence in Dublin will enable 26 long-stay residents have a permanent base for six months and will also offer nine emergency beds every night.
Faithful and people of goodwill urged to support their neighbour, the vulnerable and the elderly.
Government Social Housing Strategy welcomed but 20% more people sleeping rough in November alone.
Sophia Housing’s new Tubbercurry project provides 56 accommodation units for people with an intellectual disability.
Ten families a day becoming homeless in Dublin Sr Stan warns Govt and demands an effective short-term strategy to tackle the crisis.
Rough sleeper count in Dublin showed 59 people were sleeping rough in Spring 2011; now it is estimated to be 150 in Dublin and up to 224 people nationally.
