Homelessness services could activate emergency weather plans later this week to protect rough sleepers from adverse conditions.
Met Eireann has suggested that snow could hit parts of the country from Thursday onwards, with temperatures dropping below the mercury from as early as tomorrow. The grim forecast coincides with Ireland’s highest homelessness figures on record, causing concern for people without accommodation ahead of freezing conditions.
Dublin Region Homeless Executive director Mary Hayes says that the organisation has a strategy plan that can be activated at any time for extreme weather events. She assured the public that the group's annual strategy always takes into account the impact of cold weather on rough sleepers.
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She told RTE’s Morning Ireland: “We have additional beds come in during the cold weather every single year. When there’s a yellow or amber weather warning in place, we put aside extreme weather beds and they become available during those periods only.”
She continued: “There are already additional beds available through our strategy plan and we will activate the extreme weather beds if a weather warning comes into place on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.”
The DRHE works in close collaboration with the Dublin Simon Community, who identify rough sleepers on the streets who may be in need of a bed. The group previously launched an app, widely available for public use, that would alert homeless authorities to the presence of rough sleepers in the city.
Mary encouraged the public to download the app ahead of plummeting temperatures, adding that it will allow the DRHE to pinpoint people most in need of their services. App users can report any instances of rough sleeping via an alert system, making it a great asset for the advocacy group.
She added: “If a member of the public spots someone and is worried about someone rough sleeping, they can pin the location and our partner service, Dublin Simon outreach, will be out to them in an hour. In general, it helps us to pinpoint where people are rough sleeping and helps us get to people we haven’t picked up before.”
There are currently 11,397 people registered as homeless in Ireland, a record high that reflects the soaring cost of living. Officials have warned that real figures are likely higher, as these numbers only take into account people who are currently residing in emergency accommodation and not those living on the streets.
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