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Children are going to bed hungry in emergency accommodation –Cllr Reilly

9 December, 2014

Dublin city councillor Noeleen Reilly has expressed concern at one of the side effects of living in emergency accommodation in that families are forced to eat out every single day putting a huge strain on already meagre budgets.

She said,

‘People forced to live in emergency accommodation are not only living under the stress of not knowing where they will be living from one day to the next but most of the establishments you cannot cook in.  You barely have the facilities to make yourself a cup of tea.  Some of the hostels have communal areas but they aren’t exactly suitable to prepare meals for your children.  There are over 1,700 people living in emergency accommodation and many have not had a home cooked meal in a long time.’

Jennifer McEvoy living in temporary accommodation said ‘I’m looking at about €30 a day if not more, as we would need plenty of bottled water to drink!   Eating healthy is not really possible because all were supplied with is a kettle’.

Councillor Reilly further added,

‘The cost of having to eat out consistently is putting a huge strain on families who simply cannot afford it.  They are in hotels and hostels in the first place because they their own resources do not cover the increased rent that this city has experienced over the last few years.  How does anyone think they are in a position to be able to eat out all the time?  In many cases they simply cannot afford to and children are going to bed hungry.  2015 has to be the year where serious funding in put into housing construction and also returning the void units back to the housing stock.  Living in a hotel is no life for anyone.’

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