A homeless couple who had their tent and belongings confiscated by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council workers have been given emergency accommodation by the local authority.
Images appeared online last week of council workers appearing to confiscate the belongings of the couple who are understood to have been living on Killiney Beach for some time.
Dun Laoghaire Helping the Homeless, a local group charitable group dedicated to helping homeless people in the Dun Laoghaire, said on Friday it had been working and communicating with the couple.
After the images surfaced it was revealed by local councillor for the Killiney-Shankill ward and housing activist, Hugh Lewis that the couple were offered emergency, temporary accommodation.
In a brief statement to Dublin Gazette, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council says that “Homeless Services engage with all rough sleepers through the Outreach Team.
“No site is cleared before we first engage with persons who are rough sleeping and provide emergency accommodation.”
Cllr Lewis said that “the exact circumstances which led this family to sleeping in a tent on Killiney beach is unclear, however having spoken to them and the Council they have since last week resided in safe emergency accommodation.
“However over 10,500 people registered as homeless there is no escaping the fact that 2019 has been yet another year of an ever deepening housing crisis, 2020 must deliver radical change or these scenes will become a regular occurrence.”
It is understood that the couple’s possession have yet to be returned to them and Dun Laoghaire Helping Homeless said “most of their stuff was in the bin when they arrived back (to collect their belongings)”.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council had not replied for clarification on whether the couple’s belongings has been returned by the time of publication.
