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'Homeless people are scared and worried': Soup runs fear HSE inspection will force them to close

Two volunteer soup runs received visits and letters from the HSE’s environmental health section in recent weeks.

TWO SOUP RUNS for the homeless in Dublin city say they might be forced to close after inspections from the HSE.

The co-founders of the two voluntary soup runs – Denise Carroll from the Homeless Street Café and Glenda Harrington from Friends Helping Friends – told The Journal that they both had been visited by the HSE’s environmental health section in recent weeks.

They were subsequently told by letter from that HSE department that an inspection regarding compliance with food safety legislation found the outcome was “unsatisfactory significant” [sic].

Both were told that the non compliance must be rectified before 27 July 2021, on which a follow-up inspection of the soup runs will take place. The letter from the HSE said that failure to comply “may result in formal enforcement action being initiated by the HSE”.

It’s understood that other soup runs who are operated by charities have also been contacted on this issue. 

‘We are not a food business’

However, Carroll and Harrington both said that they could not afford to undertake all the steps outlined by the HSE in the letter and feared they might have to shut down.

They said they were not food businesses (as they were described by the HSE), or charities, but were voluntary soup runs aiming to show kindness to homeless people in the capital.

“Our point is we are not a food business,” Carroll said of the Homeless Street Café. “We are making no profit, we have no managers, no premises. Even though we’re called a ‘street cafe’ we’re just a table on the side of the street and we have volunteers who give us food to share.” Alongside food such as sandwiches and cake, they also distribute tents and sleeping bags. 

She said most if not all of her volunteers are double vaccinated. The food is usually prepared by volunteers in Ratoath and Celbridge, and brought by van in cool boxes and hot boxes by Carroll.

Homeless Street Café was set up five years ago, after Carroll was inspired by seeing a group on Facebook describing how it distributed sandwiches to the homeless.

“I said I will make sandwiches – I was in a position of comfort, where I didn’t realise how many people are in food poverty around us, whether homeless or living in flats or hostels. There is a serious amount of people queuing for this food.”

She and her mother and some other volunteers served 70 people on the first night and she said that these days they regularly serve up to 300 people. Friends Helping Friends serves a similar amount of people on its soup run. Homeless Street Café runs one night a week, while Friends Helping Friends runs two nights a week. 

During the height of the coronavirus restrictions, the Homeless Street Café distributed food by trolley so as not to encourage a crowd to gather, but it is now back to its usual set-up.

Both Harrington and Carroll say they understand the importance of food safety regulation, but are now pleading with the HSE for some leniency based on their specific circumstances – that they are run by volunteers and do not make money.

“This is going to block people from helping,” said Carroll. “I have a group of pensioners who make sandwiches using money from their own pension. This is just relying on people’s good nature – we are no big corporation.”

She said that the fact they serve hundreds of people indicates the need that is there for their soup run. “No one is going to queue on Grafton St for a bowl of stew or a piece of cake if they don’t have a need,” she said. “I understand and welcome any help at all – if the environmental section of the HSE came along and said ‘here are a few tips’, I would welcome that.”

Compliance letter

In its letter to the soup runs the HSE indicated a number of things that need to be carried out to bring them in compliance with food safety legislation.

One of these is monitoring the temperature of food, which both women said they would be able to carry out (they also store the food in appropriate ways depending on whether it is cold or hot, they said).

The HSE also said that “your food business is not registered with the official agency”. Both women dispute that their soup runs are food businesses.

The HSE said that “‘food business’ means any undertaking, whether for profit or not, whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of production, processing and distribution of food”. 

Another HSE concern was that “not all food workers were adequately trained”, and it requires that the soup runs “ensure all food handlers are supervised and trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities”.

“Basically they are looking for an industrial kitchen and professional catering person,” said Carroll, who co-operates the soup run in a voluntary capacity around her own job as a nurse. 

The HSE also said that at the time of inspection there was no information on the identity of the person who supplied the food, so the soup runs should include this.

A further concern was the absence of handwashing facilities with cold and hot water. If food is pre-packaged, then hand sanitiser will suffice, said the HSE. 

Carroll said that they use gloves and sanitiser, but she wasn’t sure how she would be able to provide handwashing facilities at the side of the street. Harrington hoped to be able to organise sinks for handwashing.

The HSE also asked the soup runs to provide written allergen information on the food.

Both Carroll and Harrington were advised to purchase a ‘Safe Catering Pack’ from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), which they said they were going to do.

“If they could meet us there in the middle somewhere we are more than happy to improve our service any way we can, but what they are proposing will close it,” said Carroll. 

Brian McLoughlin from Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) said that the soup runs “are doing fantastic work out there and doing it on a voluntary basis”. He said the ICHH believes a better solution would be for the DRHE (Dublin Regional Homeless Executive) and HSE to “work with them and to help them keep doing what they are doing”.

“Our concern is, what alternative is put in place for people to be fed if they have to close? A lot of the gaps can be because the day services that provide food are closed in the evening, and people in emergency accommodation might not be able to get into them.”

‘It would be tragic to take it away’

Both women said they had built relationships with homeless people through their work, and had been told that the soup runs helped change people’s lives.

Carroll said: “On one side there’s the uncomfortable feeling we do have a lot of poverty around us, we have kids and elderly in poverty. On the other hand [this soup run shows we have a] beautiful outpouring of care. I think it would be tragic to take it away.”

O’Carroll said the changes recommended by the HSE would cost money she doesn’t have, and that she is not able to become a charity as it would take up a huge amount of time and money.

“We wanted to keep it so simple – no money, just kindness. Everything they are saying involves money,” she said. 

Harrington said that she was told all the volunteers who supply food to her soup run would have to have their kitchens inspected:

“Obviously they are not going to just let people come in and assess their house. They’re nearly getting penalised for being kind and wanting to help. We are not opposed to regulation, we are happy enough – we know they are there for a reason. They are there to keep people safe, but they are just unrealistic for us. They want me to rent a fully equipped HACCP-certified kitchen to store equipment and cook there.” 

She also raised the issue of funding the rental of appropriate kitchens: “We are completely unfunded. I’m thinking, if I am taking money from donations is that not wrong? It’s not supposed to be for funding a kitchen. I don’t take cash ever, because I’m not a registered charity.”

Friends Helping Friends has been running for four years. “We’re so upset,” said Harrington. “It’s not possible to do what they’re asking us to do. If the people that were supposed to look after the homeless did their job, we wouldn’t be out there two nights a week. I am devastated for the people that come to my soup run.”

Harrington said some of the homeless people they serve are “genuinely scared, worried – for a lot of people the food is important, the toiletries are important, but for a lot of people it’s the only compassion they get.”

Harrington is determined to continue serving people on the soup run. “I can’t see myself saying to 300 people on the street – ‘right lads, off you pop, no dinner’. I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The HSE said in a statement that “the primary responsibility of the HSE Environmental Health Service is the protection of public health”.

The HSE Environmental Health Service works under a Service Contract for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to ensure the relevant food legislation is applied as necessary. All food businesses  must comply with the requirements of food law that is relevant to the business they operate. 

It said that Regulation (EC) No. 852 of 2004 sets out the hygiene rules for all food businesses, such as structure, equipment, food waste, water supply, personal hygiene, heat treatment and training requirements, in addition to provisions applicable to the wrapping and packaging of food.

“Under this Regulation there is also a requirement to develop a food safety management system based on HACCP principles which identifies and controls the hazards that are relevant to the food business in question,” said the HSE.

“Some businesses develop their own in-house food safety management system while others use recognised guides such as the FSAI Safe Catering Pack as a practical and easy to use food safety management system.”

These regulations apply minimum food safety standards to all food businesses, including the voluntary sector, said the HSE. 

Regarding the frequency of inspection of food businesses, it said this is based on the risk to public health, with risk being assessed on a number of criteria including the types of foods being produced, processed and distributed, and the vulnerability of the consumers. Food business operators are required by law to notify the HSE of their intention to carry on a food business.

The Environmental Health Service” endeavours to work with food business operators to encourage an understanding of the legal requirements and to support compliance with the minimum food safety standards regarding structure, operation, safety management systems and staff training and to ensure compliance with food law where non-compliances are found upon inspection”.

Added the HSE:

It is important to note that persons accessing homeless services are among the most vulnerable in our community and may be immunocompromised, therefore the risk of serious illness as a result of food borne infection needs to be kept in mind.

Food services

In September of last year, a UCD report commissioned by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) found that additional on-street food services for homeless people “are not required”, and recommended that such services be regulated. 

It found that recent years have seen a “dramatic expansion” in on-street, voluntary food services which are unconnected to DRHE-funded day services. 

The review recommended that DRHE should work with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the HSE to devise a strategy to manage the growth in on-street provision of food to homeless people by volunteers.

At the time, Inner City Helping Homeless spokesperson and Dublin City Councillor Anthony Flynn said it was an issue that needed to be addressed but that demand for on-street food services had risen in recent years.

“Many services who operate voluntary soup kitchens within the city are not only providing for the homeless community but also for the thousands of people who are living in food poverty across the city,” he said.

“The reality is that these on-street soup kitchens are merely a sticking plaster for a major societal problem, food poverty, as there are 700,000 people, including shockingly 200,000 children, living with food poverty in Ireland.”

- Additional reporting Cónal Thomas

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    Mute Marg FitzGerald
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:34 PM

    They are not selling food, they are sharing with friends. Regulations should not apply.

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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:46 PM

    @Marg FitzGerald: no regulations should apply but instead of closing them down, the HSE should work with them to be compliant

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    Mute Sara McS
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:15 PM

    @Marg FitzGerald: the regulations refer to food for sale or supply. When food is produced in bulk the risks can be higher. The EHOs have to safeguard the public consumer whether they buy the food or not. They generally work with these organisations to help them improve

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:08 PM

    @Sara McS: The people here who are criticising the HSE for doing what it is legally obliged to do would probably be the first to complain if the HSE decided to ignore those same regulations in relation to takeaways and restaurants. ‘What about the potential for food poisoning? This is reckless and dangerous behaviour by the HSE…’ they’d cry. This situation can be easily resolved with a bit of co-operation on both sides that doesn’t involve exemption from the regulations, which are there for good reason…

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    Mute Patrick FitzGerald
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 10:37 AM

    @William Tallon: There’s no contradiction in criticising them for ignoring such regulations in regards to formal, professional enterprises and criticising them for inflicting red tape and regulations on informal, non-profit enterprise. There’s a world of difference between the two. Where exactly is the line drawn? If I bake cupcakes or brew beer and give said products to friends and family free of charge, visiting their homes and dropping off a box of either, am I to be subject to red tape for this? If not, at what point does my distribution of food produced at home become some kind of HSE-involved health issue?

    That’s the crux of the problem here. From the sounds of it, these soup runs are an informal and casual arrangement akin to making and distributing home made food to friends, not a formal business setup. Why, then, are they being targeted in this manner?

    Call me a cynic, but it strikes me that this is part of a longer and wider move to coral or coerce homeless people into engaging with the formal state system as opposed to living off the grid, as many of them choose to do for very legitimate reasons. Government agencies have for several years been attempting to shut down informal and independent services like this to force homeless people “into the system”, as it were. And that is fundamentally wrong, on a variety of levels. They are, ultimately, attempting to subvert peoples’ freedom by making it impossible to live without going through the “official channels” – channels which involve significant intrusion into one’s private life which many people very reasonably balk at.

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    Mute The Bolt
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:27 PM

    Just when you think someone can’t be kicked any lower, someone comes along and does this.

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    Mute PAUL BOHAN
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:18 PM

    Wouldn’t ya think the HSA would have more to be at, beuracratic Ireland at its best

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:03 PM

    @PAUL BOHAN: Highly paid, underqualified wasters parading around HSE buildings with titles such as “Deputy Director” and “Executive VP” need to feed their power trip some way.
    This report highlights one example of such a power trip.

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:48 PM

    @PAUL BOHAN: The HSA having no expertise in this particular area probably does have more to be at, which is why they’ve left it to the HSE…

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    Mute Mary Ryan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:43 PM

    I know the girl Denise that runs the soup cafe. You can follow them on Facebook and see how well they run it and every thing is to a high standard. and you will see the fantastic work they do. They distribute clothes and shoes too. It’s an absolute disgrace that they are being forced to stop! Where will it all end with the regulations. I wish they would take common sense into consideration. The big hungry TD’s wining and dining away without a though for the poor unfortunates.

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    Mute Philomena Stack
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:16 PM

    @Mary Ryan: What is her FB page? People might be able to make donations..

    29
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    Mute David Dineen
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:02 PM

    @Mary Ryan: they aren’t unfortunates, they are human beings.

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    Mute Mary Ryan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:05 PM

    @Philomena Stack: it’s the homeless street cafe. They do fantastic work.

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    Mute Mary Ryan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 7:16 PM

    @David Dineen: I didn’t say they aren’t human. They have been unfortunate in life

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    Mute Will
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    Jul 21st 2021, 11:50 AM

    @David Dineen: “they aren’t unfortunates, they are human beings.”

    They are both!
    Describing someone as unfortunate does not imply they are less then human. Human beings are often unfortunate in our flawed society.

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    Mute John Scott1281
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:43 PM

    Most likely the business people around the soup / food setting up don’t want it , its drawing the homeless into affluent shopping areas and they object to it to DCC and this is how they deal with. So sad to pick on the poorest in society.

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:03 PM

    @John Scott1281: that’s a lost of exercise you got, jumping to all those conclusions.

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:25 PM

    Not a business.. and none of the HSEs business. Keep their beaks in the trough they are already in. You can make soup and give it away free and no one can stop you. Not even Stephen Donnelly or Paul Reid on their combined salary of about € 650,000 a year. I expect they have never used the free soup run.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Jul 20th 2021, 6:01 PM

    @Paul Whitehead: explained In the article, if they serve food they have to do it to a standard

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:32 PM

    At this rate they’ll be coming inspecting our kitchens in our homes. This is more than despicable.

    134
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    Mute John Dowdall
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:10 PM

    Well,why don’t the so called government do something for the homeless?

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    Mute Eamonn Tierney
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:55 PM

    Hopefully a bit of Commonsense will be used here so this vital service for the Homeless can continue

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    Mute Jeff Nolan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:43 PM

    Leave the homeless without food to starve and the kids in the summer camps out in the excessive heat to burn…what a country

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jul 20th 2021, 3:53 PM

    I remember Meals on Wheels having similar issues to work with. Maybe they could work on this together? There must be a way to continue – it gives hope to 700,000 hungry people. They’re not going to be in any position to dine out instead.

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    Mute Willie Bill Bryan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:17 PM

    Stephen Donnelly answers on a stamp please , not a business in any shape or form , the inspectors families must be proud the person behind the visit needs to be named and explain the real reason for this

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Jul 20th 2021, 6:00 PM

    @Willie Bill Bryan: the reason is they are serving food and nobody needed to report them. If they are failing hygiene standards they could kill the immune repressed drug addicts very easily that use the service. If somebody died from this people would complain nobody checked the standards. I think it strange that people don’t think the people it serves deserve hygiene standards like the rest of us.

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    Mute G Bot
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    Jul 21st 2021, 11:28 AM

    @Craic_a_tower: So by that same logic if I decide to organise a community event (such as a family day etc..) say and ask people to bring food along then I would warrant an inspection from the HSA. No sorry I’m not buying that nonsense. They are not a fixed establishment and the food being distributed is being volunteered. You can’t regulate that

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    Mute Sinead Merrigan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:47 PM

    As mean as this sounds food safety is also very important. There is a real risk of food poisining if food is incorrectly stored, not reheated correctly to bring out or not maintained at the right temperature. Surely you dont want people getting very sick particularly if it is in a position to harm them more die to circumstances. Haccp certs are very easy to obtain and perhaps an arrangement with the food safety authority could be arranged to provide this training.

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    Mute Mary Ryan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:09 PM

    @Sinead Merrigan: they do practice food safety. The hse don’t want to help them. Remember it’s voluntary and they give up a huge amount of their time. They have become friends and are trusted by the homeless.

    34
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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Jul 20th 2021, 6:03 PM

    @Mary Ryan: no they don’t practice food safety standards fully hence the issue.

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    Mute Sinead Merrigan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 6:35 PM

    @Mary Ryan: unfortunately it needs to be well documented and provable. Homeless people are at risk from food poisining due to their circumstances and conditions. I have volunteered with numerous services that have required that training and it is very easily obtained. Surely there is some commenter here that can assist or ecen the DHRE or helping the homeless both of which are registered and have access to this kind of thing

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    Mute inflation is coming... buy physical silver.
    Favourite inflation is coming... buy physical silver.
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    Jul 20th 2021, 4:47 PM

    This is what excessive government leads to. Hands up the taxpayers who think their money is being well spent. In the perverse country Ireland has become it is more important not to get food poisoning rather than starve. Congratulations to a generation of self serving politicians for bringing us to this point.

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    Mute David Dineen
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:01 PM

    I’m not going to look at comments, my guess is leave those helping the destitute alone is coming up, I like to think that my health and safety in a place of eating is covered and I feel safe, that right should be to everybody regardless of income status, lax standards are not going to feed homeless.

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    Mute Andy Dillon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:47 PM

    There are way to many of these soup kitchens.. duplicating food runs. Want is needed is more organized services for the homes by government agencies instead of wasting money and resources. The homeless in better than a cup of tea and a sandwich.

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    Mute rugbyanbeer
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    Jul 20th 2021, 5:29 PM

    Grafton Street looks like a war zone,bodies lying everywhere, it’s very depressing

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    Mute Pete Brady
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    Jul 20th 2021, 6:26 PM

    Civil service strikes again. Utter disgrace

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    Mute Denis O'Brien
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:07 PM

    What about the farmers markets ?

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:51 PM

    How mean spirited is that? Scrooge at Christmas. Bah humbug :(

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    Mute Raymond Barry
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:36 PM

    Scared and worried are not words I would use to describe the ” homeless” people I would encounter on a daily basis.

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    Mute Paul Sharpe
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:06 PM

    I said it before and I’ll say it again – Rules is Rules !

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    Mute Denis O'Brien
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:06 PM

    What about the farmers markets .?

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    Mute G Bot
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:20 PM

    Un-flucking believable!!

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    Mute Patrick FitzGerald
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 10:38 AM

    Reposting from another comment: Call me a cynic, but it strikes me that this is part of a longer and wider move to coral or coerce homeless people into engaging with the formal state system as opposed to living off the grid, as many of them choose to do for very legitimate reasons. Government agencies have for several years been attempting to shut down informal and independent services like this to force homeless people “into the system”, as it were. And that is fundamentally wrong, on a variety of levels.

    They are, ultimately, attempting to subvert peoples’ freedom by making it impossible to live without going through the “official channels” – channels which involve significant intrusion into one’s private life which many people very reasonably balk at.

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