The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) has disclosed plans to introduce over 400 supplementary emergency beds for the homeless this winter, as a part of its frosty weather initiative. The strategy rollout will commence right away with 173 additional beds, and another 150 beds are due to become available by March. These emergency units will operate round-the-clock, providing on-spot meal services.
Moreover, they are setting aside 104 ‘extreme weather’ beds for contingencies arising from unusually harsh weather conditions. These extra provisions will add to the existing 10,701 emergency beds for the homeless in Dublin, presently occupied by 7,313 adults and 3,388 children. It’s noteworthy that the number of homeless adults without children relying on these services has seen a 15% spike since September 2023, now standing at 4,726.
The DRHE assured in a statement, “To cater to the rising demand for homeless services and ensuring adequate cold weather provisions, we are initiating the cold weather strategy 2024-2025 in the Dublin area. This approach aims to augment the existing capacity to accommodate the growing necessity for emergency housing and specifically address the needs of chronic rough sleepers.
“Our frosty weather strategy allows us to interact more assertively with long-term, entrenched rough sleepers and hard-to-reach groups, with the objective of placing them in suitable long-term accommodations.” However, the DRHE confirmed that none of these provisions will be accessible to the over 2,800 homeless male asylum seekers, whose housing falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Children. Current statistics from the department indicate that as of Tuesday, there were 2,808 male asylum seekers “awaiting offer of accommodation”.
Since the 4th of December, the International Protection Accommodation Service, operating under the department, has ceased to provide refuge for lone, adult, male international protectees upon instant presentation at the International Protection Office. Since then, they have had a total of 6,002 applications, with 2,547 of these individuals having been housed, and an additional 647 having been offered a place to stay after a “vulnerability triage” process.
Volunteer workers claim that this group should immediately receive housing upon arrival. However, they say that those they encounter sleeping without cover in Dublin are typically given offers within a few days.
One such volunteer, who has been assisting homeless asylum seekers since early 2024, stated, “The pace at which they are being given lodging has seen an improvement, with most cases taking around four to five nights, or sometimes even less. However, they truly need a place to stay immediately upon arrival. They wander the streets in damp clothing the entirety of the day and climb into moist sleeping bags.”
Issa, a 34-year-old man hailing from Sierra Leone, was preparing to sleep on the damp ground, inside a wet tent, in a sheltered environment in South Dublin on a Sunday night. He had made his way to Ireland on October 21st.
The circumstances are extremely challenging, he mentions. “It’s frigid. It’s not easy for us. It’s a struggle. However, the country is tranquil, and the people are kind,” he added.
Questions were raised with the Department of Children regarding their winter strategies for sheltering male asylum applicants and the opening of a lodging facility in Thornton Hall, in North Co Dublin. No response was received before the time of press.