Don’t really want to get dragged into discussion Justin, but do you know one nation that doesn’t have homeless and people without families that are especially vulnerable and in need in that Christmas time? Well done to the organisers I think :) Merry Xmas.

Nope but 500 seems excessive.

Justin, a city the size of Dublin I can assure you 500 is very very little. I am presently in Seattle for Xmas. The amount of homeless pushing their trollies on the streets outside my hotel today is shocking!

Bet they wish they had the RDS to go to!

My thoughts too.

Tommii looks like the smartphone app is the problem there, most people scroll with their right hand and press the thumbs down by mistake but there’s always one! Great stuff in the Rds, but that’s only Dublin! Other similar initiatives everywhere else. If anyone has a spare fiver logon and donate now.

Yep those heroin addicts who harass us around Middle Abbey St are so unfortunate, of course it’s other people’s fault. Truth hurts sometimes. There are some people in life who are deservedly poor.

I can only assume that O Duill is very a sad person who cannot find understanding or compassion for any person who is in a difficult place in life. A lot of the people he refers to are children of drug addicts or alcoholics. They have never known an environment of love or guidance. As a society we all have a responsibility to support the less fortunate people , regardless of how small that help is. Most people use their own moral compass to make such decisions of support. That moral compass is a result of our upbringing. The comments from O Duill prove this to be true.

Kieran O Duill,I know you as a trouble maker and you are barred out of my pub.Behave you clown.

Not every homeless person harasses or even begs. People do need to help themselves more sometimes or maybe to be shown how to. I think there are loads of people who like the homeless lifestyle and like to beg, but I hope they all had a lovely Christmas dinner. It’s a time for giving. :-)

Duill, you’ve bought into the taught ideology that poverty is a result of bad decisions. That we are all born free and equal with equal opportunities, and some of us just ‘mess it up’. We are not born free a d equal. There are young carers, single parents, families who have lost jobs, who between increased tax, childcare costs, lower salaries, household bills, huge mortgages etc can’t manage. Pull your head out of your arse. Unless you have walked in someone’s shoes you have no right to judge them.

Bollocks. The Celtic Tiger gave Ireland very generous rates of unemployment benefit and one of the highest child benefit. Lots of these people have poor attitudes towards work and bettering themselves.

@ Brian – You obviously missed the article during the week, when it was released that Ireland is the most charitable country in Europe and the 2nd most charitable in the world!
We have great people willing to do great things for the less fortunate.

Happy Christmas people!

Derek, that’s fair comment and it does show that we still have a caring side. I get upset when I see someone homeless as I think that no matter what problems you have if you can close a door behind you at night and have you own private “space” then you have some chance.