Sir,
There have been endless reports and strategies; and massive funding has been spent in recent years on the development and provision of services for people who find themselves homeless. Yet it is impossible for members of the public to find out what services are available and even for those providing services in this area. It has now become increasingly difficult to know who has responsibility for what in the area of homelessness.
We can, in our capital city, inform the public as to where car spaces are available, yet the information about bed spaces is impossible to find. Freefone numbers are not worth the paper they are written on if people cannot get through and those tasked with the difficult job of answering the phone have no beds to offer.
Thanks to journalist Carl O’Brien for informing the public (Home News, February 8th) on the role of the Civil Defence in the provision of emergency beds. This information was only made available to some agencies and certainly not to the general public. Concerned citizens increasingly come up against brick walls when attempting to help their fellow human beings.
Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Director & Co-Founder,
Trust,
Bride Road, Dublin 8.
