Government pledges emergency shelter to combat homelessness

THE Government has taken the first positive steps in tackling the plight of people sleeping rough.

An emergency shelter to accommodate homeless is set to open at the end of this week, with Minister for the Environment John Gormley pledging to open some vacant buildings as emergency shelters, under a pilot scheme which will run until April.

The department of the environment said, however, it would not be advertising the location in case it could attract protests from residents.