Demand surges for homeless services

Ireland’s emergence from deep recession “has not lifted all boats”, with a leading homeless and drugs agency reporting a surge in demand for its services.

Merchants Quay Ireland last year supplied almost 20% more meals compared to 2015 — and almost 50% more than 2014.

The agency director Tony Geoghegan said “thousands of vulnerable single men and women” were being “pushed further down” the housing queues by the prioritisation of housing families.