A BROKEN-hearted mother whose homeless son has been living at the 24-hour emergency shelter on Lord Edward Street dreads to think what would become of him if the service is discontinued.
The Temporary Emergency Provision (TEP) service was first opened in 2016 as an emergency night shelter, providing accommodation from 9pm to 9am.
Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ‘nine-to-nine’ shelter, which is operated by Novas, was opened round the clock to provide safety for its 30 residents.
On July 16, the emergency accommodation was due to return to a 12-hour day operation because of funding cuts.
One concerned mother, who did not wish to be named, told the Limerick Post that she worries about what this will mean for her 34-year-old son.
The woman, who is in her late seventies, joined a protest on Monday outside the HSE’s offices on Catherine Street urging them to keep the 9-to-9 service open.
Her son suffers with a range of health issues including autism and depression, and has only just recovered from pneumonia.
“He had a very rough start in life. We had to leave our family home because of domestic violence when he was a teenager and he has been in and out of prison from a young age. I call him my boy, because he is still like a child. I minded him for as long as I could but I am unwell and have my own health problems and can no longer care for him,” she explained.
The woman appealed to the HSE to keep the nine-to-nine shelter open. She is worried about her son and the other homeless men who live in the Lord Edward Street hub, and what will become of them when the 24-hour service ends.
”This is the closest thing to a home my son has ever had. He is very happy at the nine-to-nine. He has a roof over his head, hot food, a room to sleep in and he was delighted to have a safe, dry place to go and watch TV.
“These people are sick. Any intelligent person should know that. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t sick. They just need some help. They have their struggles and life is hard enough for them.
”I beg those with the power to keep this shelter open to do that. I worry and wait each day for the phone to ring and be told something has happened my child. I am begging you to keep this shelter open.”
In a statement to the Limerick Post, the HSE explained that together with Limerick City and County Council and Novas, they continue to explore all options in relation to how best to help the people staying in the TEP.
“The HSE can now confirm that funding is available to continue the 24-hour service beyond July 16, to seek an appropriate solution for these most vulnerable people.”
However, residents at the shelter claimed it will only remain open for a further four to six weeks, and say they intend to continue their fight until it remains open as a 24-hour unit into the future.
Sinn Fein councillor Sharon Benson has also been advocating for a move away from nine-to-nine accommodation. The City North representative had a motion passed last November calling for 24-hour emergency accommodation.
“While I appreciate that the HSE funding was an emergency measure introduced for the purpose of Covid, it has transformed the lives of the residents. To withdraw the funding and revert to a 9-to-9 service will have a disastrous impact on those who now call these hostels home. These are people’s lives they are playing with,” she declared.
”It is important to note the positive change that the service has brought to the residents since becoming 24-hour accommodation. Some residents have secured employment and many others are returning to education following successful applications, with the help of staff. The residents have told me that this would not have been possible if they were walking the streets all day. Drinking and drug use is also down and there has been a very positive change to mental health, with residents saying that they have found a sense of belonging and new sense of purpose.”
Cllr Benson also believes it is essential that the HSE have a permanent role in homeless services and work with the Council in providing accommodation and support, in terms of mental health and addiction.
“To ask residents to go back out onto the streets on July 16 was both morally and ethically wrong. I am calling on the HSE to continue to fund the 24-hour accommodation and to work with Limerick City and County Council towards finding a more permanent solution.”
Novas’s policy director Dr Una Burns said that the move was forced upon them by the HSE and the Council, who they operated the service on behalf of.
“We are upset, staff are upset, as are our residents. With the decline in cases and the pandemic stabilising, the council made the decision to close it,” she said.
A Council spokesman said they don’t comment on protests taking place in Limerick as it is the democrat right of any person/ group to protest.
“It is important however to point out that funding provided by Limerick City and County Council to our partners for the provision of TEP services has not changed,” he added.
