People told to sleep rough due to conditions in some hostels

Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry has claimed some emergency hostel provision is such a disgrace that “I have been personally advising some homeless people to sleep rough”.

Renua Ireland said Fr McVerry told its party think-in some people recovering from drug addiction were being placed in hostels “full of active addicts”.

A party spokesman said the founder of the Peter McVerry Trust said the Government’s social housing policy was deeply flawed and it was looking for a cheap way out of the housing crisis.