'Everytime I go into the council about my application, I seem to need something else'

A 24 year-old Navan man has been sleeping under a bridge in the town for over month while waiting for emergency homeless accommodation from Meath County Council.

The young man, who grew up in foster care, and doesn't have family to fall back on, feels that Meath County Council has been putting "every obstacle it could in his way".

“They said I had to get a letter from Revenue to show my employment. I offered them payslips and a letter from my employer, while I was waiting for the letter to come, but that wouldn't do. It took three weeks to get the letter from Revenue and then they wanted identification.

“I have a passport that was out of date - they wouldn't accept that. I got the NDLS service to email a picture of my driving licence, but they wouldn't accept that - it had to be the actual licence.

“It is going to take another few weeks to get my address changed on that to my employers address,” he said. “It will cost me €45 to get it sent out, but I'm not driving at the moment and don't need it. Everytime I go into the council about my application, I seem to need something else.”

Meanwhile the young man, who doesn't want his name or location identified for safety reasons, continues to sleep rough.

“It is very tough, particularly on the colder nights. I had three sleeping bags and a blanket but it was still so cold. “I work on a farm and when I finish work I cannot get a shower, or cook.”

While the bridge he has been sleeping under provides some shelter, when it is wet and windy, the wind blows the rain in under the bridge.

“Storm Dave was really terrible, it was extremely wet and cold. Cllr Alan Lawes has been very good to me, he gave me a tent and sleeping bags and brings me hot food.”

“It is also a lonely existence. I try to keep to myself. I don't drink or take drugs. I grew up in foster care from I was eight years old and I saw what drink and drugs can do, so I keep away from them.”

Cllr Alan Lawes said that it has been a nightmare situation for the young man.

“Every obstacle has been put in his way. There was a time when you would just give your PPS number and prove you were homeless to get emergency accommodation, but now you have to fill in so many forms .

“The council know all about this young man. He is working, he is trying his best but he is getting no help.

“There are only two things you need to prove to be entitled to homeless accommodation - that you are homeless and that haven't the financial ability to house yourself.”

Cllr Lawes claims these added regulations are not needed under law. “This is something they brought in over the last two years.”

“This is keeping people out of homeless accommodation - and it is also keeping the figures for homelessness down. The figures the council give for the homeless in the county each month are only those that are in emergency homeless accommodation,” he explained.

“In a time when homelessness is rising, the council's policies are making it more difficult to access emergency accommodation.”

Cllr Lawes also expressed concern about the standards in some of the emergency accommodation provided by the council and has referred the case of one family to the Children's Ombudsman.

“I know of one house in Navan which is accommodating 13 or 14 people and they have no heat - they cannot control the heat or hot water.”

“There is also an issue with no out of hours service. If someone becomes homeless over a weekend, there is nobody to contact until the Monday morning. Over the Easter weekend, the council offices closed at 5pm on the Thursday to 9am on Tuesday - so homeless services couldn't be contacted in all that time,” he said.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said while the ocuncil does not comment on individual cases, it is actively engaged in delivering and coordinating a range of supports for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Meath, and urges anyone affected to contact the Council for assistance.