Emergency provisions being made for rough sleepers as Ireland braces itself for big freeze

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will convene a special meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group for Severe Weather tomorrow morning at 10.30am in advance of the anticipated severe cold weather this week.

Met Éireann have issued weather warnings for the entire country this week in advance of a Siberian chill coming in from Europe, with temperatures as low as -9 degrees being forecast in the coming days. Snow, frost and ice is expected to hit the entire nation as Ireland braces itself for one of the coldest spells of weather it has faced for years.

Minister Murphy has advised that a number of provisions will be made for homeless people and rough sleepers, who are the most vulnerable ahead of the severe weather.

Local authorities have confirmed that they will keep all cold weather initiatives for rough sleepers in place and additional capacity has been put in place to ensure that there are additional bed spaces available for rough sleepers that would not normally avail of homeless services in the main urban areas of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. In Dublin, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive has secured an additional 84 beds and ‘one night only’ beds will remain open on a 24 hour basis.  Two outreach teams will be working on the streets to encourage rough sleepers to come into shelter. Members of the public are also being asked to contact their local authority to report any rough sleepers that they have concerns about and any such cases will be followed up.

Minister Murphy stated; “Rough sleepers require additional supports and the Government is working hard to implement solutions. Extensive efforts have been made to deliver new accommodation with over 200 new beds provided in the Dublin region towards the end of 2017.  The introduction of these additional beds has enabled the State to provide medical supports and the appropriate interventions to individuals, who otherwise would be outside the system and on our streets”.

Irish Water has mobilised its Crisis Management arrangements to deal with operational impacts of the expected severe weather nationwide. Severe weather can result in big demand increases due to additional pipe bursts and additional water use. In particular, Irish Water is advising that the water supply to the Greater Dublin Area is running at full capacity at the moment, with some operational issues impacting production. In order to avoid the need for restrictions, households & businesses are urgently asked to conserve water, refrain from leaving taps running and to report any visible leaks. Unattended premises should be checked for possible burst pipes caused by freezing temperature.