Hostels full but cold has not claimed victims

HOSTELS for the homeless are full but the severe weather has not claimed any casualties so far, according to agencies working on the streets.

The Simon Community in Dublin said all 30 beds in its emergency hostel at Usher's Island are occupied and surplus people were being referred to the Eastern Health Board's Homeless Persons' Unit.

A spokesman said the community continued to organise nightly soup runs to sites around the city and to two places - Butt Bridge and Heuston Station - where up to 35 people congregate each evening for the service: "Not all of these are technically homeless - they might be living in bedsits and just come down for the soup or the company."

Simon also distributes blankets on its soup run and said donations of money and blankets from the public were always welcome.

The medical and social agency Trust has been dealing with up to 30 visitors each morning over the Christmas and New Year period, according to its director, Ms Alice Leahy.

"There's no real difference from previous years, except that people coming in to us seem more depressed. I don't know if that's because of the greater affluence around them or because we're getting to know them so well they're able to be more honest about their feelings."

Focus Point expressed relief that the cold had not killed anyone but a spokesman said this was a matter of luck.

Those who moved into hostels at Christmas tended to stay there until the holiday period was over, the spokesman added, "so anyone who becomes homeless finds it very difficult to get hostel space.

He said the organisation was particularly worried about young families placed in B&Bs by the health boards. "They can't stay there during the day so they have to wander around and in this weather it's very difficult for them to keep warm."

The Society of St Vincent de Paul said its 360 hostel places around the State were all full.