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DISCUSSION AROUND IRELAND’S homelessness and housing crises is at fever pitch at present, and a case has emerged today that seems to suggest the problems in the sector are coming to a head.
George Chalkley, a former welder, is 80 years old. He lost his right leg last December and is currently living on his daughter Margaret’s couch.
The council house in question in Ballymun is currently being shared by seven people, including a baby.
Margaret has applied to Dublin City Council (DCC) for the installation of a small extension at the back of her house where she hopes to install a single bed for her father.
But the minimum she and her father can expect to wait for the extension is two years due to a lack of funding according to DCC, despite George being a level one medical priority.
“His other leg will go eventually as well, we’re trying to keep it as long as we can but I can’t do that with him living on my couch,” Margaret told Joe Duffy’s Liveline on RTE radio yesterday afternoon.
I just think it’s cruel to leave him like that.
George had two toes removed last year, but when the surgery was deemed a failure he had his entire right leg amputated.
“I took him in because the hospital wanted to put him into a nursing home, and he’s too full of life and too much of a character for that, so I took him in,” said Margaret.
All we want is a small extension, a bed and a chest of drawers, but they keep telling me we’ll be waiting two years because they’ve no funding.
He’s been in that chair seven months and he only had his first shower 3 weeks ago, and I had to get onto a TD to make that happen. DCC have approved us yet no-one has ever come out to assess the situation.
There’s no way he can sleep in my sitting room for two years, that’s for sure.
A letter received by Margaret from DCC asserts that while George’s case is a “high (level 1) priority”, the current waiting list is approximately two years “due to the volume of approved cases on the waiting list”.
“The waiting time may increase if there is any decline in funding for the scheme,” the letter continues.
No indication can be given when the works may commence until all the other cases have been dealt with.
Meanwhile, the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) has today published its pre-budget submission for 2016 with a keen emphasis placed on finding a solution to the housing crisis.
The submission puts distinct emphasis on long-term solutions as opposed to short term wins.
Suggested measures include:
“In order to address the acute housing issues we currently face in Ireland, we must see an increase in housing supply and an acceptance that social housing requires adequate funding on an ongoing basis,” said Donal McManus, CEO of the ICSH.
There are currently almost 90,000 households on waiting lists for social housing. In addition, there are 531 families and 3,095 individual adults in emergency accommodation.
Clearly, the housing sector in Ireland is facing major challenges, and Budget 2016 presents a real opportunity for Government to address these in a sustainable, strategic and long-term way.
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This will be one walk the orangemen won’t be doing .
@Finn Bowe: some of then well be protesting though. Happens every year
They could start with teaching a few heads up at Stormont a little bit about the subject
Imagine the North used to policed by the RUC.
How times have changed.
Well done Psni. Maith na buachaillí.
The PSNI has been one of the great successes of the peace process. If Brexit does lead to a united Ireland we should extend it to a 32 county organisation to replace our own discredited force.
No wonder they want a hard border !!!
Well done PSNI, fantastic step forward for equality
When we get hate speech laws here…Journal will be boring…Many comments won’t be allowed….
@John003: Hate speech it seems only emanates from non-lefty liberals. Bit like discrimination which apparently is also only committed by whites! As to Pride, well they say that only comes before the fall? These Pride gigs are grand in themselves for a bit of fun if it were not for the fact that they are really a sad vehicle to prolong the “victim syndrome” of a lot of the so called LGBT, MGBGT community!
@Warthog: they are being victimised all over the world and until there is 100% equality everywhere, these marches and other LGBT need to continue. So keep up your own bigoted attitude and these events will continue.
@Warthog: So many of the LGBT community were victims of ‘gay bashings’, which happens in this day and age, so they have every right to have the victim status, and angry after 50 years of fighting for equal rights, also being fired from the workplace was another practice if the employer found out if an individual was gay, lesbian or transgender. and police forces of any nation used to beat of kill the LGBT community often, so don’t preach this crap please.
@Paul Furey: Hahaha that’s funny. See the truth hurts, as those with half a brain would understand that I was making a valid observation and no way was I being bigoted. But of course as I was not fully on-board with your agenda you revert to type and start the usual name childish name calling! As to been victimized, maybe you and the rest of the LGBT/MGBGTs should grow a pair and start protesting against Islamic countries that go way beyond victimizing and do in fact lop the heads off or throw LGBTs off high rise buildings.
@Warthog: Pride is about protesting about all bigotry including that which happens in Islamic countries. Surely that’s obvious?
So, An Garda Síochána, your move.
@Tomboktu: A move they made several years ago
They should start with allowing marriage, too.
Good on you PSNI go for it
I would not go rushing to heap praise here when in reality it’s still illegal to have any form of homosexual conduct between consenting adults in private. The notion of same sex “marriage” is ages away and while it took Paisley and his fellow travellers over 40 years to get the message over the peace process it will take the current Unionists forever to come round to the idea. This reactionary outlook has not stopped the DUP being handed wads of cash under the guise of adhering to the peace process but in reality they are just propping up the current Tory Government which is so tawdry it is not insisting on change in such areas as a quid pro quo for the money
Is the border a hate crime? I think it is.
have your say