Students petition Minister Simon Coveney to bring an end to homelessness

School students have made an impassioned plea to Housing Minister Simon Coveney to end homelessness. They presented him with a petition with 10,000 signatures.

Students from Ard Scoil na Mara secondary school in Tramore, CBS Midleton and Edmund Rice college in Carrigaline, Co Cork, joined the High Hopes choir at Carrigaline Court Hotel yesterday to present the petition to the minister.

The students from the Edmund Rice school have launched a campaign to end homelessness as part of their focus on social justice issues.

Alannah Dalton from Ard Scoil na Mara said prior to being educated about homelessness she walked past people on the streets with no real understanding of their plight.

“We never realised that they were just unlucky. That they were just people who lost their jobs. It broke our hearts to see the reality. I learned to be grateful for everything that I have. It is unbelievable that people don’t have a home or a chance to have a warm shower on a daily basis. It is just people at the end of the day. They are just humans like we are. I hate to think of homeless children going to school on empty bellies,” she said.

Jacques Kinane from Midleton CBS in Co Cork said he always thought homeless people were just individuals addicted to drugs or alcohol.

“But then we saw the human side of homelessness when we met the High Hopes choir. We talked about how they are real people too and it can happen to anyone. There are people in hotels who we don’t see every day. So we have to advocate for them so they can get where they need to be,” he said.

The students said they were more motivated when the number of homeless children climbed above 2,400 in the autumn. They are also aware that students in each of their schools are living in families at risk of losing their homes.

Mark Hartery of Ard Scoil na Mara said they wanted to be the generation to end homelessness in Ireland.

“We don’t want to grow up in an Ireland that cannot provide homes for people. That is not the Ireland that represents us,” he said.

Rapper Jimmy O’Brien, who is a member of the High Hopes choir, said he was heartened by the response of the students. “It’s a great turnout. Homelessness is a major thing at the moment and hopefully we will see improvements. When you look at Apollo House over Christmas it made young people really want to get involved.”

Mr Coveney promised the students that he would put an end to families being accommodated in hotels and emergency shelters.