Tackling homelessness - Council plan is shocking

In April of this year, the disclosure that Josef Pavelka, a homeless Czech national, was living in the superloos with a Polish friend in Ennis received national attention.

Judge Patrick Durcan described this as a scandal. Mr Pavelka had come to Ireland six years ago to work in the construction industry, but had developed a chronic addiction to alcohol.

After being told that Mr Pavelka needed a habitual residency to avail of state services, Judge Durcan became understandably irritated. “That is balderdash,” he said. “This is a case of a man who needs help and surely there are caring agencies of some kind in this town of Ennis who can help him.”