Residents’ committees blocking hostels

THE Taoiseach has hit out at residents’ organisations who object to the siting of hostels for the homeless in their neighbourhoods.

He called for greater tolerance to be shown towards the vulnerable people who used hostels, and greater co-operation with the State’s efforts to provide facilities for them.

Mr Ahern was responding to a plea from Mater Hospital psychiatrist Professor Patricia Casey to make more funding available for the mentally-ill homeless, who, she said, made up one-third of all psychiatric emergencies handled by the hospital.