LAST UPDATE | 14 Jan 2025

AN POST HAS said the GPO is “totally unsuitable” for use as a soup kitchen after the Labour Party called on its CEO David McRedmond to open the underutilised building to services that need them.

McRedmond chaired the Taoiseach’s Dublin city taskforce that made the case against on-street soup kitchens in the city centre. The services could become more regulated through new bye-laws that were recommended by the group last year.

Dublin councillors stressed last week that it was not the intention to ban the services, but ensure correct protections are in place.

Labour councillor Dermot Lacey today said that An Post should provide the GPO as a space for homeless and other, similar services to operate indoors.

He argued that if the soup kitchen services were moved inside the GPO, on a temporary basis, it would negate most of the issues cited in a 2021 report by one social policy expert that said they disrupted businesses and created an intimidating atmosphere in the city.

The report, which was used by the taskforce in its recommendations, added the model of on-street food services contributed to an increased level of anti-social behavior in Dublin and was “inherently undignified and is potentially unsafe”.

Lacey said McRedmond has been vocal about moving soup kitchens and other food services for homeless people off the streets and into indoor places.

He said that the GPO, as a central and symbolic location, has the facilities to provide a short-term solution.

An Post moved the majority of its employees out of the GPO in 2023 following the launch of its new headquarters on North Wall Quay in Dublin city and its CEO McRedmond recommended, in his role on the taskforce, that the service sell the building.

Lacey argued that the “underutilised” facilities in the GPO would serve as suitable and temporary measure, until a long-term solution is found. He said it was “vital” that the services continue to operate for those in need in the city.

“I’m calling on An Post to engage with community organisations and the City Council to explore the feasibility of opening the GPO canteen as an indoor soup kitchen,” he said.

“Let’s act now to provide immediate support while building for the future.”

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for An Post said the venue was “totally unsuitable” for use as a soup kitchen site. 

“This is not a trivial issue,” the service said. “The Dublin Taskforce Report’s recommendation concerning soup kitchens, which was informed by experts in homeless support services, is for a professional approach and customised facilities.”

Some councillors have supported ideas such as permit applications and requirements for operators to train volunteers in food safety and social care while others claim the council is attempting to regulate compassion.

Speaking to The Journal last month, the head of Muslim Sisters of Éire – a group that feeds the homeless on Dublin’s streets – Lorraine O’Connor said that more time and attention should be directed to solving issues around homelessness.

An Post has been contacted for comment.