Up to 12 people homeless in town

UPWARDS of 10 to 12 people are homeless in Killarney, it has been claimed.

The town council has received approval from the Department of the Environment to block book 10 beds in a privately owned hostel to accommodate homeless people.

A sum of €60,000 has been set aside for the purpose in the 2007 budget.

However, town clerk Michael O’Leary said this was not seen as a long-term solution and it was part of a Kerry County Council plan to provide a hostel for the homeless in Killarney.

The council’s annual budget meeting the town council was providing €34,000 towards the cost of running a Tralee-based information centre for the homeless in Kerry.

But Independent councillor Michael Courtney was strongly critical of paying such a sum which, he claimed, went entirely towards administration costs.

“Spending this money on administration is crazy. It’s just propping up jobs,” he said.

“I’d rather see the money being spent in a practical way on the ground. More money should be going into hostels rather than administration.”

Independent councillor Donal Grady, saying between 10 and 12 people were homeless in Killarney, called for the situation to be treated urgently.