Let’s not demonise those who need a helping hand
Its objective is to get a small handful of homeless people off the streets, to begin to talk and listen to their stories and to make the kind of professional connections that would in time help them to connect with regular, healthy living.
It is a tall task and the Simon workers who are prepared to take it on deserve our respect and support.
Contrary to the practice in all of the other Simon centres, people will be allowed to bring their drinks in with them. It was deemed necessary to do this. Otherwise it was felt that it would not be possible to get them in the first instance. Hence the unfortunate title ‘wet centre’. Those of us who support it think that the title Gateway more accurately reflects the stepping-stone nature of what is being attempted.
Nobody expected that it would be easy to get this off the ground. There is a lot of justifiable concern among residents and business interests in the immediate area. Memories of former badly-run Simon centres in places like John Street are fresh in many minds.
I made 12 points relating to management and maintenance of the centre, street management and regular monitoring of the impact that the presence of the centre would make on the locality.
I am satisfied that every effort is being made to address people’s legitimate concerns.
What disturbs me profoundly, however, is the claim that homeless people would be a “threat to passing students”. As matters stand, students pass homeless people every day on their journey to schools. There is no evidence that this constitutes a threat.
In fact, there is no evidence that any homeless person in any part of the city has ever threatened a young person.
I admit that homeless people are often unlovely in their appearance and their behaviour. I also know that they can become awkward and cantankerous at times. But they are not paedophiles.
To depict them as a threat to students and to demonise them is utterly shameful.
To build arguments on this premise is spurious and unfair to students whom I know from experience to be nothing if not fair-minded in their judgements.
By all means let us put the arguments for and against the proposal into the public domain. Let us debate the issues rationally and honestly.
But for God’s sake don’t let us do further damage to some of the most vulnerable people in our city.
Above all else, don’t let us poison the minds of young people and create manufactured fears in a world where real hazards exist in abundance.
Mairín Quill
Wellesley Terrace
Wellington Road
Cork
