The number of beds catering for homeless young drug and alcohol-users must be "doubled", a charity worker with a homeless group has said.
The Depaul Trust, which runs the only low-threshold shelter in the State, has recently seen its bed numbers at the Clancy shelter drop from 22 to 17, following a forced change of premises. Mr Pat Doherty, director of Depaul Trust Ireland, said they need "about 30 beds".
While most other homeless hostels accommodate people aged either 18 or younger, or people in their 30s, the Clancy shelter offers accommodation to people in crisis aged between 18 and 35.
Critically, however, it differs in that it tolerates their being under the influence while on the premises.
"Our clients are mainly drug-users, a lot of them have been barred for life from other hostels," said Mr Doherty. "Some projects demand you have clean urine samples for a week before they'll accept you. Our client group can't do that."
"We aim our service at young people in crisis and to make the service work round their needs rather than make them work round ours."
Clients are offered a warm bed, good food and key workers who talk through their issues, helping to link them into other services.
They are referred to the shelter in Dublin's north inner-city, which is continually running at capacity, by street outreach workers from Focus Ireland and the Dublin Simon Community.
Housed at the old Clancy Barracks in Dublin until nine months ago, the shelter had to move when the barracks were sold. Dublin City Council has provided alternative, smaller premises.
Mr Chris Harford (24), from Dublin 8, has been at the Clancy shelter since October. "I've been on and off the streets since I was 16. I've been injecting heroin since I was 12," he says. "I've been in prison and begging. I knew my life was crap but I didn't see another life. But when I came in here, it was the first time people listened to me. Now, I'm stabilising on methadone."
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Royston Brady, who visited the Clancy shelter on Saturday, said its work was "absolutely vital".
