"If there is anyone on the streets, I’ll be out there to visit them and bring them food"
Navan cllr Alan Lawes says he is confident that there is currently nobody homeless on the streets of Navan during this cold period.
His comments come as The Peter McVerry Trust, which provides homeless services, social housing and supports to people sleeping rough in Meath, has initiated its extreme weather response in the county.
It forms part of a wider response by the national housing and homeless charity across Dublin and the Mid-East. Cllr Lawes said:
"We have been working very hard with the council since Christmas. At Christmas we had rough sleepers in Navan we had five on Christmas Eve, three on Christmas Day and we have been down to fighting every case as they come from there.
"Things have changed leading up to this adverse weather warning and of course in an adverse weather warning you don’t want anyone on the streets.
"The council officers have been working very hard and right now I don’t know of a person on the streets over this cold period.
"If there is anyone on the streets, I’ll be out there to visit them and bring them food.
"I am confident to say that they are doing their best to cater for everyone.
"For anyone who has fallen through the cracks we have volunteers on hand and the council has allowed us in Johnstown Tidy Towns to buy gift vouchers from Supervalu so I can buy that person a hot meal and a sleeping bag, toiletries or donated clothes with the Inner City Helping the Homeless.
"Also because I am a councillor I can engage with the council to get them off the streets.
If you know of anyone sleeping rough in the county you can contact me on 085 1757216."
Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said “We activated our extreme weather response in Meath over the weekend, ahead of the colder than normal weather which is expected to continue for the coming days. We have been working with Meath County Council and have put additional accommodation and transport supports in place for people sleeping rough.”
“We have created 6 extreme weather placements to help people sleeping rough in Meath. We have put transport supports in place to go and collect people across the county and bring them to our service and we are actively engaging with known rough sleepers to encourage them to come in.”
Covid-19 Test
“We have also secured Covid-19 testing kits that will allow us to get 15-minute results for people we are engaging with. Anyone who is confirmed as Covid positive will be brought to a Covid-19 accommodation service operated by Peter McVerry Trust, to get appropriate medical support and to isolate. Anyone who tests negative will go to the emergency shelter.”
The response in Meath is part of a wider response across the Mid-East region which also includes Kildare and Wicklow. In all, Peter McVerry Trust is making available 26 additional bed spaces to help people sleeping rough and a further 101 in Dublin.