A LOCAL COMMUNITY action group in Dublin 8 has delivered a petition to Dublin City Council signed be locals calling for a decision on the placement of a new homeless centre to be reversed.

The Peter McVerry Trust is set to open an emergency homeless centre in the area in place of St Catherine’s Foyer, Marrowbone Lane – a safe place for young, homeless people at risk.

The new homeless centre will have the same entrance as a sports club used by around 300 children and dozens of locals a week.

“The problem is the new centre will take anyone in,” community development officer, Fintan Brunkard told TheJournal.ie. “The community were happy with and supportive of St Catherine’s Foyer, a safe place for young people, and were given assurances that nothing like this would ever happen.”

“The Peter McVerry centre won’t allow them [homeless people] to drink alcohol or drugs on the premises, so they will also go out in the surrounding area,” added Brunkard. “So it’s affecting everyone in the area… People are worried about what the area will turn into”.

According to the action group ‘Fairness for D8 Young People’ the council did not inform them of the plan to place the new emergency centre in the community centre and had planned to hand over the facility on August 20.

“We ultimately want them to reverse the decision and retain the present service,” said Brunkard.

St Catherine’s Sports and Community Centre on Marrowbone Lane, Dublin 8.

Read: Getting out of homelessness early is key says study>

More: Government commits to ending homelessness by 2016>