Addressing the problem of homelessness
Sir, – The sad deaths of two people at the Grand Canal in Dublin at the weekend focused minds again on the lives of people ending up homeless (“Grand Canal deaths: Victims named, foul play not suspected ahead of postmortem results”, News, July 8th).
There are a huge number of people working in the NGO sector and statutory bodies working hard addressing the problem of homelessness, supported by an incredible amount of funding from various sources. No one agency can claim exclusive expertise.
This is because it is a complex problem, as we highlighted in our submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage when it met to consider homelessness on January 29th, 2021. It is clear that there are no easy solutions.
This too is compounded by the fact that thankfully we live in a country where personal freedom is paramount, even if at times there can be tragic outcomes.
People, whatever their social status, do have rights and responsibilities.
This is an example of some of the issues that arise when we reflect on the death of someone labelled homeless, especially when they are known to us, as was the case in this instance.
The work of the Garda Síochána and ambulance service dealing with tragic events, such as the deaths of the two men last weekend, is all too often overlooked or taken for granted. – Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Director of Services,
Alice Leahy Trust,
Dublin 8.
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2024/07/10/addressing-the-problem-of-homelessness/
Remembering Mary Banotti – A wise and humble woman with an enquiring mind
Sir, – Hearing of the death of Mary Banotti reminded me of a morning walking the streets of Dublin with her a lifetime ago (“‘Trailblazer’ former Fine Gael MEP Mary Banotti has died”, News, May 11th). We met very early in the morning, wearing sensible shoes, knowing what lay ahead. We were both nurses and she wanted to see how we were working with homeless people and how she could help us. She was a wise and humble woman with an enquiring mind. It was a long morning, with no mobile phone distractions. We visited the many hospital casualty departments, the hostels, night-shelters, day centres and met people from all sections of the community en route. We met homeless people going to work in the gardens of better-off people, and some going to court where the judge was on first-name terms with them. We met friendly gardaí, often well known to the people we worked with. Some people were slipping in and out of the “early houses”. We spent time walking through the grounds of St Brendan’s Hospital meeting people lost in their own thoughts, and others spoke simply about institutional life. She listened intently and treated everyone with respect. She was interested to know how I ended up where I was and was most interested in my Tipperary roots where there was a huge emphasis on our shared community responsibility. She wore a pair of my mother’s hand-knitted gloves until they fell apart!
We exchanged correspondence over the years and we met last a few years ago and I was so pleased to thank her once again for her encouragement. I wonder what she would think of today’s Ireland? I am sure she would say “We live in a great little country” and “Yes we can”. – Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Director of Services, Alice Leahy Trust
Link: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2024/05/14/remembering-mary-banotti
Letter to the Irish Times: Why manners matter – Renewed focus needed
Sir, – Sadly the lack of manners is widespread in our society, regardless of what paper one decides to read (Letters, April 24th). Doesn’t this say so much about respect for oneself and others?
A renewed focus on manners could go a long way in helping people feel that they matter.
Thankfully, we experience amazing courtesy every day from the people who use our service, all of whom are homeless, many of them coming from outside the island of Ireland. – Yours, etc,
ALICE LEAHY,
Link: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2024/04/25/why-manners-matter/