Fr Peter McVerry: Hiqa would close some homeless hostels 'overnight'

Fr Peter McVerry: 'The solution to homelessness is to provide people with a home. This is our priority, for, although we provide hostel accommodation for almost 1,000 people every night, they still remain homeless.' File picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

The number of people assisted by the Peter McVerry Trust jumped by 30% last year, with Fr Peter McVerry saying that if health watchdog Hiqa was drafted in to inspect some homeless hostels, it would close them "overnight".

The homeless crisis has worsened as the year has progressed, but last year marked a significant escalation, with the charity, now active in 28 local authority areas, assisting more than 10,000 in 2021, two-thirds of whom were male.