Homeless offered sleeping bags instead of housing in Dublin

Dublin City Council staff are offering homeless people sleeping bags instead of emergency accommodation.

According to several homeless support groups Ireland’s emergency accommodation services are so sparse many are forced to sleep rough despite asking the council help.

Eoin Donegan from Lay Litigation Ireland said: “We’ve had about eight people in the last six weeks, all from different parts of the city, saying they’ve been offered sleeping bags instead of accommodation by Dub-lin City Council staff. Some cases involve couples who’ve been told to leave the children with relatives while they’re offered sleeping bags to sleep rough,” he said.