We are very pleased to inform you that our centre will re-open on Monday 20th July 2020 adhering to all Covid-19 guidelines. It will not be possible for us to cater for the number of people we met prior to the pandemic however we will strive to cope with as many people as possible.
Thanks to all our friends and supporters who kept in touch with us and gave us great encouragement during this very challenging time.
After a lot of soul-searching and discussion with our Directors the Alice Leahy Trust decided to close on Friday 13th March.
Our centre is too small to ensure social distancing and the safety of our staff and the people who use our service would be compromised.
The people who call to use our service or visit us come from all over the city and beyond.
We too are conscious that we operate in the basement of a large city hostel and we must be mindful of their residents.
We do regret having to close but we had no option – we informed Dublin Regional Homeless Executive of our decision.
Jeanette is able to keep the office going from home and we liaise daily.
Like everyone else, we are daily monitoring the situation in these challenging times.
We look forward to the day when we can open our doors again but in the meantime – keep safe everyone.
Alice Leahy – Director of Services, Alice Leahy Trust
Sir,
The pilot Dublin Bus scheme to tackle antisocial behaviour has to be welcomed by staff and customers alike. It too is tinged with sadness that this is where we are now.
Many of us remember the friendly, efficient and helpful bus conductors of times past. They were great ambassadors for public bus service and our Capital City. We are daily reminded of the speed in which in so many areas of public service people have been replaced by technology in this box-ticking age. Yes, technology has been so beneficial, and it continues to grow, yet it will never replace the helpful human being face to face with a fellow human being.
Dublin Bus might consider in due course having some staff available to check the occupancy of clearly designated seats for vulnerable passengers. A daily user of public transport, I see young children in those seats, as elderly, disabled and sometimes pregnant women cling to bus rails for dear life to get to their destination.
Yours etc.
Alice Leahy
Alice Leahy on the Brendan O’Connor Show, RTE Radio, Sunday 8th September 2024
See link:
How can spending €335,000 on a bicycle shed for Leinster House, while a huge number of people sleep rough throughout the city and suburbs, many of them for years, be justified?
That money could provide well-designed public showers and toilets in our capital. This is a need we highlighted first 18 years ago.
A weeks ago, we wrote to all city councillors again pointing out this need. Incidentally our recent correspondence merited just five responses from 61 elected councillors.
A bicycle shed that will hold 18 bikes for the chosen few, it appears, is more important.
Politicians and aspiring politicians should not be surprised that people have become cynical, this worrying fact threatens our democracy.
Alice Leahy
Alice Leahy Trust, Dublin 8
Listen to Alice on RTE Radio 1, on Today with Claire Byrne
“Why don’t we have public showers in Dublin?”
