The vehicle was donated to the charity to help its work with homeless families.
Depaul saw a particularly large increase in families accessing its services in both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
New pastoral letter on the housing and homelessness crisis, ‘A Room at the Inn?’, calls on Irish society to commit itself to work towards the provision of warm, decent, affordable and secure homes for all.
“Working to address your issues from a stable home with the help of a highly skilled, professional multi-disciplinary team is much more successful than trying to do so from a congregated setting like emergency homeless accommodation or living rough on the streets.”
Fr Peter McVerry backs action of ‘Take back the city’ group to “highlight the failure of government action”.
Bishop of Derry tells pilgrims at National Padre Pio Pilgrimage in Knock, “It is a dangerous form of Christianity that believes we have to be a strong and influential organisation giving the lying impression of being pure and perfect.”
Barnardos provided practical and emotional supports to children and parents in its 40 centres, in families’ own homes, through the school environment and within their communities.
Former Government Minister and Green Party leader ordained to the priesthood at Christ Church Cathedral in Waterford.
There were 9,891 people living in hotels, bed and breakfasts and family hubs in July, up from 9,872 people in June, with 43 more children homeless in July than in June.
Allianz Insurance is the headline sponsor for the World Meeting of Families, but other companies and corporations in Ireland and the US have made donations towards the €21m cost of the Pope's visit to Ireland.
Parish community and clergy pay tribute to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin for his inspirational leadership and his role in WMoF2018.
The one million euro will be used to help housing projects in Dublin, Limerick and Cork – but as homelessness crisis worsens, this is but a drop in the ocean.
The new figures show that the number of homeless increased by 6% in one month alone from 8,587 in December 2017 to 9,104 in January 2018.
Emergency accommodation is more expensive and less effective than Housing First which receives less than 1% of the national annual homeless budget in Ireland. In other countries up to 50% of the homeless services budget must be invested in the Housing First model.
“Based on the experience of our 11,000 members, we are willing to engage with Government to relate how future policies should be poverty proofed and work for those families that are struggling,” - Kieran Stafford, SVP National President.
“So many parents in our society today feel that they are failing because they cannot provide security for their children” and many are reluctant to ask for help because of stigma and shame.
“Christmas asks of us that we turn from singing carols to raising our voices to ensure the voices of the vulnerable are heard and their needs recognised” - Archbishop Michael Jackson.
The annual Black Santa Sit Out, which raises up to €50,000 for charity, was launched on Wednesday by Archbishop Michael Jackson and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
“Each of us has an option, to respect the dignity of all in our society through our actions or to choose to ignore this suffering.”
Will the small improvements in supports and services have a meaningful impact on families and children living in poverty? Unfortunately, the answer is NO
Homeless charity, Focus Ireland, say the homeless figures for September 2017, announced by Minister Eoghan Murphy show yet another record number of men, women and children experiencing homelessness
“The policy of the past 25 years has led to a chronic under-supply of real social housing. It has resulted in the homelessness crisis we are now experiencing,” warns Fr Peter McVerry.
The private sector will never build social housing units on the scale required.
If the current rate of people becoming homeless continues, there will be 8,300 people living in homeless accommodation when the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe announces details of Budget 2018.
“You’ve got those who are sleeping on the streets and it is disgraceful. You’ve got families living in hotel rooms which is a shame on our city” – Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
The study, carried out by Dr Paula Mayock and Sarah Parker of Trinity’s School of Social Work and Social Policy, highlights causes of homelessness among young people, including family breakdown, leaving State care, early school leaving and lack of access to employment.
This must be seen as a “line in the sand” for the government. “They must see this cannot continue,” says Focus Ireland in week where homeless families were directed to Garda stations for shelter.
The Government introduced their housing strategy nine months ago and every single month since then the number of homeless people keeps rising and rising and rising. We need them to go back to the drawing board, said Fr Peter McVerry.
“A real republic will stand for social justice and for equality. Social Justice Ireland calls on leadership from all sectors of Irish society to become part of a debate on a new social contract for a new century,” said Dr Seán Healy.
Latest figures show women now account for 42 per cent of the number of adult homeless and this has increased from 34 per cent over the last two years alone.
