'Criminal element' and misinformation making homelessness challenges more difficult

Vivienne Clarke

Mary Hayes, the director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, has expressed concern about “the criminal element” spreading misinformation and making an already “challenging situation” even more difficult.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Ms Hayes said it was important not to forget that the arson attack on a premises in Ringsend that had been intended as accommodation for 14 homeless families, had been a criminal act.

It was important that people using the services of the Executive were treated with dignity. They still had to go to work and their children had to go to school. People did not always want it advertised that they were homeless and accessing services, she added.

Ms Hayes said that the Executive had confirmed to some local politicians before Christmas that the premises was going to be used as accommodation for homeless families and had also confirmed to the media when asked.

Consultation was not a veto, she said. “There is a fine line between communication and veto.”

There had been “a mixed bag of responses” in the past when they communicated that a premises was going to be used for homeless accommodation.

Ms Hayes said she was “very worried now”. The situation had been challenging for some time. The escalation of such incidents by “a criminal element” was a great cause for concern.

It was important to separate criminal acts from concerns about the service.