UN criticises Ireland over increase in Cork’s homeless

The State has come under fire from two UN experts over the increased number of homeless people in Cork City and their lack of access to water and sanitation.

The experts found that of the city’s 120,000 inhabitants, more than 700 were homeless. They said that despite raising concerns with the government over the issue last September, they had received no response as yet.

“Widespread homelessness is evidence of the failure of the State to protect and ensure the human rights of the most disadvantaged populations,” said the UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, Leilani Farha.

She said the number of homeless has risen due to the lack of affordable housing and the impact of austerity measures.

Ms Farha said that, according to international human rights law, all levels of government are under an obligation to provide urgent measures, including financial assistance, to ensure access to affordable housing, and essential levels of drinking water and sanitation services.

“The State must take immediate steps to provide these services to homeless people, and at the same time, it must plan and implement a strategy to eliminate homelessness and provide long-term housing solutions,” said Ms Farha.

The experts pointed to claims that rent allowance allocations available to individuals and families in Cork city are “grossly inadequate” in relation to the cost of housing in the private market.

They said tenants with low or irregular income have no protection from sudden increases in rent, forcing them to either move out or face eviction, often resulting in homelessness.

“It is deeply worrying that there have been no free and adequate public installations for water or public toilets in Cork for the last 10 years,” said Leo Heller, the UN special rapporteur on the human right to water and sanitation.

“This effectively means the denial of access to water and sanitation for the homeless.”

The experts said that while the Government does provide some public emergency shelters, the locations of these water and sanitation services were inadequate. They said some shelters did not open until the evening, and existing shelters were not sufficient to acc-ommodate the growing numbers of homeless people in the city.

“During the day, the only alternative for many homeless people in Cork is to request access to water and sanitation services from private residents or establishments such as bars, restaurants, or public institutions,” said Mr Heller.

“This extreme lack of autonomy experienced is a denial of their privacy and dignity, as well as a health concern, as the situation results in access to very low quantities of water and limited access to sanitation facilities.”