Homelessness - Political gaffe highlights timely issue

It would be disingenuous, especially at this time of year, to suggest that it was other than a slip of the tongue when Minister of State Noel Ahern attributed Sweden’s successful policy on homelessness to its exceptionally cold weather.

His unfortunate remark was uttered in the course of his attendance at a “Make Room” debate in Trinity College, organised by St Vincent de Paul, Simon, Threshold and Focus Ireland.

The ministerial faux pas, however, serves as a seasonal reminder that there are thousands of unfortunate people for whom Christmas will be just as miserable as any ordinary day of the year.

It is the ambition of those agencies concerned with homelessness that it be eliminated by 2010 and in that they have the support of the political parties.

That even one person should be sleeping rough in a doorway or on our streets is regrettable but it is a problem that will not be easily solved.

It is a perplexing one, in some cases involving personal choice because of complex reasons, but presents a distressing sight, nonetheless, throughout our cities and towns.

Though any solution may be difficult to achieve, there is at least encouraging evidence that it may be on the wane as figures for the homeless throughout the country have shown a slight decline over previous years.