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NINETEEN HOTELS IN Dublin each received payments in excess of €1 million last year to provide emergency accommodation for the homeless.
One hotel received payments between €4 million and €5 million according to new figures provided by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) which confirmed that the spend on providing temporary and emergency accommodation for the homeless soared by 19% to €170 million in 2019.
In the four years of 2016, 2017, 2018 and last year hoteliers have received cumulative payments totalling €203.5 million as the number of homeless requiring emergency accommodation soared.
Last year, hotels received payments from the DRHE totalling €56.6 million to provide emergency accommodation and this represented an increase of 10.7% on the €51.1 million paid out in 2018.
A breakdown of the €170 million spend on providing emergency accommodation for the homeless shows that €80.16 million was paid to hotels and B&Bs.
The figures show that the amount paid to non-governmental organisations for supported temporary accommodation, including family hubs totalled €70.26 million – an increase of 16% on the €60.62 million paid out under that heading in 2018.
The remaining €19.9 million of the €170.33 million total was paid to ‘other’.
The 19 hotels to receive in excess of €1 million last year compared to 15 hotels receiving payments in excess of €1 million in 2018.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the DRHE confirmed that one other hotel operator last year received payments between €3 million and €4 million to accommodate the homeless.
A further four hotels received payments between €2 million and €3 million with an additional 13 hotels receiving payments between €1 million and €2 million.
Another 21 hotels received payments between €500,000 and €1 million.
In total, 70 hotels provided emergency accommodation for the homeless last year.
The sharp increase in payments to emergency accommodation providers came against the background of further increases in the numbers homeless in Dublin in 2019.
The numbers of homeless accommodated in hotels and B&Bs increased by 15.6% from 2,282 made up of 1,488 children and 934 adults in January 2019 to 2,638 at the end of December made up of 1,633 children and 1,005 adults.
Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn described the spend as an “absolute disgrace”.
The DRHE declined to name the hotels and B&Bs that have received payment.
The FOI unit stated: “I am satisfied that the financial and commercial interest of the emergency accommodation providers would be negatively impacted by the released of this information.”
The FOI unit also states that it was satisfied that the release of this information would have a significant adverse impact on the management of the DRHE.
The unit also concluded that the release of such records would breach the confidentiality of providers as being a requirement for their continued supply of emergency accommodation for persons experiencing homelessness in Dublin.
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Speaking of numbers, your article on the protest is titled “Tens of thousands protest against water charges”. A conservative estimate puts the total at over 150,000.
Considering the weather people braved today to march, the least you could do is give proper credit to the number in attendance.
Well, uh, ah….150 is “tens”. It’s bloody fifteen of them.
So 22% think the 1916 rising was a bad idea! Who do they think paved the way for their lives today!
I think life today is nothing like what the 1916 leaders dreamed.
They were trying to shed crony-capitalism, and now the state is built on it.
Fair play to you mate and we must never forget
Uprising 01nov 2014. Election now. Fg/labour have no mandate.
Surely the Week in Numbers finishes on a high note – With SF the most Popular Political Party in The 26 Counties on 26% ?
More bad news for Enda , Joan & Micheal !!!
I reckon seeing the extremely serious issues raised by the Mairia Cahill case being turned into a tawdry political point scoring exercise by the establishment parties has fooled nobody and has in fact backfired spectacularly on them.
The same mrs Cahill who was/is a member of a dissident republican group?
Thousands marched in Mullingar today and I saw no mention of it anywhere.
Sinn Fein will get in. Gerry will take them to 2015 and conveniently resign to shed all doubt of the links to former lives etc etc. Mary will lead.
Was this an illegal group? Did she do anything illegal? Was she in it for more than 10 seconds? Do you feel your statement belittles or demeans her? Are you really excited by trying to rub her face in the dirt? Are you a troll? Is it wet under your bridge mr Troll?
The numbers of people at any public meeting/march can be scientifically measured and usually falls way below the guesstimates and wishful thinking of the organisers.
But if it was an fg rally you’d up the numbers
Foggy can always be counted on for a good laugh.
Yep “The numbers of people at any public meeting/march can be scientifically measured and usually falls way below the guesstimates and wishful thinking of the organisers” but seamus is not up to things as complicated. Organisations that have to deal with large numbers of people have devised tried and tested ways of counting numbers.
What the fugg has my comment got to to do with any ‘fg rally’ thetruth? Are you another all mouth and trousers like seamus?
The people or amounts of them that go on the protests are not the entire amount of people that are against the water charges ,the government know that and that’s what scares them
The first US Ebola case was 88 days after the 4th July
Halloween is 88 days after Obamas Birthday.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!
It does not matter what the numbers were in 1916 we would be a very sad nation indeed if we were to forget those that gave themselves up to free our land. I may not be here to see it happen but 32 counties has got to be the ultimate objective
Well said Harrry.
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