Lack of compassion shocks Kildare volunteers as acquisition of rehab residential house falls through

A massive blow was dealt to Tiglin, a rehabilitation charity founded by Kildare men, Aubrey McCarthy and Phil Thompson when the acquisition of a building currently housing 30 men in recovery, has fallen through. McCarthy, a well known business man in Co Kildare was awarded REHAB Kildare Person of the Year Award 2016 for the incredible advances and services he has managed to provide in recent years, when addiction support services were largely cut during recession years. “We are absolutely devastated” Mr McCarthy told KildareNow. “For the past 8 years, we have been renting rooms in Carraig Eden, for support housing for residents in the next phase of recovery. We now have 30 men facing homelessness as we’ve been told the building is to be sold by the owners, the Irish Assemblies of God”. Mr McCarthy added the IAOG and Tiglin had reached an agreement to purchase the premises for €1.7 million. Negotiations, he claimed had been ongoing since 2015 with the IAOG securing new evaluations and increasing the price from €1m to €1.7m. “We then applied and got “approved housing body” status, so as to apply for funding from the Dept of Housing. Following meetings with Wicklow County Council and local TD and Minister for Health, Simon Harris, we finally got the go ahead from the Council and approval from the Dept of Housing to buy and refurbish Carraig Eden. We were budgeting for a total €3m project with the State to contribute €1.6m towards the purchase and refurbishment”. However, Mr McCarthy said he and the many Kildare volunteers and workers at Tiglin were “devastated” when the IAOG, also known as Christian Churches Ireland, claimed it was now going to sell to a developer for the increased sale price of €3 million. The Kildare Post endeavoured to contact a spokesperson from the church, Pastor PJ Booth but no reply was forthcoming prior to going to press. Christian Churches Ireland is a Pentecostal denomination, company limited by guarantee. Amongst it 30 congregations in Ireland are the Open Community Group in Newbridge and Naas Community Church located in the Millbrook area. John Cleary, Aubrey McCarthy, Phil Thompson and Paul Mahon.Mr Thompson CEO of Tiglin also expressed his disappointment and shock at the turnaround and stated that Carraig Eden currently provides support housing for men who’ve completed Tiglin’s 11 month rehabilitation programme in Ashford. The second phase, which can vary from six months to three years helps the men to “reintegrate back into mainstream life”. Tiglin currently rents rooms from the IAOG in Carraig Glen and the group has spent the past two years working towards the acquisition. Many volunteers with the charity feel the IAOG's decision shows a total lack of compassion or christianity towards the organisations and its resdidents Mr McCarthy, stressed that “post-rehabilitation is a vital part of the recovery period and that whilst many will have very few supports available, and not a lot of social networks to fall back on. We facilitate them within a Tiglin community but they live independently; this allows them time to renew relationships and rebuild their lives, but with the solid support of Tiglin in the background.” Residents pay €75 a week towards rent, will cook for themselves and must either work, or go back into education or take up voluntary work. Tiglin has one of the highest success rates in addiction programmes, 70 per cent of participants remain sober and clean long-term. Pat from Newbridge, a recoved addict stated: “Through the programme at Tiglin I got my life back. Years of addiction took so much from my hands. But it was after the programme at a Tiglin ended that I needed a place to start life again. That's where Carraig Eden became my ‘safe haven’ and where I gained my independence. Today I have my kids back, partner and a successful business”. Already this week, Peter McVerry Trust issued an appeal to owners of empty properties in Kildare to make contact with their organisation. The charity says it is eager to speak to the owners of buildings that have been empty for one year or more which require renovation works. Owners may now qualify for Government grants to do up the properties by partnering with housing charities like Peter McVerry Trust. “According to the CSO, there are were almost 5,000 empty homes in Kildare and while with a more rigorous examination may show there are less than that there are still a substantial number of empty homes in the county” said Pat Doyle. “Peter McVerry Trust is very eager to make property owners aware of the grant scheme and the long term guaranteed rental income. We would strongly encourage owners or their representatives to get in touch to see if they are eligible for the Repair and Leasing Scheme.”