Night cafe shelter sees record demand

The “greatest risk” facing Ireland is accepting high levels of homelessness and addiction “as normality”, according to a leading charity. Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) experienced a surge in demand across its services last year, with record numbers seeking emergency shelter in its night cafe in Dublin.

The charity is seeing a wider group of people becoming homeless, with more young people — particularly care leavers — and more older people. Its annual review for 2018 shows a 20% increase in those aged 18 to 25 attending its Young Person Support Workers service, rising from 172 in 2017 to 207 in 2018.