Homeless shelter to allow residents drink alcohol

A HOMELESS shelter that allows residents to freely drink on the premises has opened in Dublin, the first in Ireland.

The shelter, run by a sister organisation of the St Vincent De Paul Society, opened before Christmas and is home to 10 of the city's alcoholic rough sleepers.

Management of the De Paul Trust are planning to expand the service until all 22 beds in the Aungier Street shelter are filled.

Workers with the homeless have welcomed the opening of the shelter.

One claimed residents, some of the most desperate of the homeless on the city streets, have already noticeably improved in appearance and health.

"The fact is they would be out on the streets Here they have a bed, three meals a day and a bit of stability," said a source who works with the homeless.

He added: "It provides a place for them to deal with their issues without the fear of being out on the street the next day."

Many of those resident in the shelter have spent years going from hostel to hostel and are barred from the majority of them.

There was some local opposition from residents to the shelter.

However, it was argued that most of the residents slept rough in the immediate area and that it was better they were inside rather than on the street.

A 'wet' shelter is a radical departure from the normal practice of barring all alcohol or, in some cases, any individual showing signs of drunkenness.

A number have been set up in London including the large Arlington House.

The De Paul Trust which is a branch of the Vincentians of Ireland, England and Scotland, has worked for several years in England with young rough sleepers who are often drug users and who are often mentally ill as well.

Its first project in Ireland, after arriving early last year, was a cold weather shelter for young homeless in the former Clancy army barracks.

Apart from the shelter for street drinkers, the trust is also planning to work with young women leaving prison.