New data shows 40% of Galway’s rough sleepers are from abroad

There were record numbers of rough sleepers on the city’s streets this Summer, fresh figures from a local homeless charity confirm.

Some 85 rough sleepers were in contact with COPE Galway homeless services this July.

The majority of them (66) were male, and 19 were female.

Over 77 nights between late May and early August, some 984 sleeping bags and duvets were distributed to rough sleepers in the city by COPE.

That works out at an average pf 13 per night. Some 532 were returned, the data said.

A large number (42) of the 85 rough sleepers, were categorised by COPE as being “eligible and approved for services by local authority”.

Eight of them were categorised as “non-centre of interest in Galway”.

A further 35 (including 26 males and nine females) were “without habitual residency”. This means that around 40% of the rough sleepers are not ordinarily resident in Ireland and do not have close links with the country.

Factors to satisfy the right to reside include: length of time spent in Ireland; continuity of residence; and general nature of your residence.

The figures were presented at a multi-agency meeting convened to highlight the homelessness problem, and negative impact rough sleepers were having on city centre businesses.

It was attended by Galway Garda Superintendent Marie Skehill, community Garda Clare Burke; Maeve Joyce of Galway Chamber; Dermot Mahon and Helena Martyn of Galway City Council; and Galway City Councillors, Ollie Crowe and Peter Keane of Fianna Fáil, and Niall McNelis of Labour.

Garda figures presented to the meeting confirmed that some 36 individuals were dealt with this Summer for aggressively begging on the city’s streets.

Those figures, coupled with COPE’s figures that there were 35 rough sleepers without habitual residency, appear to confirm the anecdotal suggestions that people from abroad are coming to Galway, from abroad, including Eastern Europeans and Roma, to beg, and they are sleeping rough while doing so.

Cllr McNelis said there was no evidence yet of the rough sleeping beggars from abroad being part of an organised gang or trafficking but it is a problem.

“Rough sleepers are just one aspect of the homeless crisis. There are all sorts of other facets of it, such as high rents and people sleeping on the couches of friends and family and so on. But rough sleeping is the most visible aspect of the problem, and it is the most stark,” said Cllr McNelis.

“The problem with Roma and others coming here to beg and sleep rough, I believe is seasonal. A lot of them are gone and more will be leaving this week and next. That has been confirmed at the meeting.

“When they are gone, the problem of homelessness will remain. There will still be rough sleepers. Some of the people who are sleeping rough have mental health problems and some of them will not engage with the services such as Cope. There is a problem of supply and demand. There are not enough houses to meet the demand.

“There are two sides to this. There is the human tragedy, and the heartache of people who are sleeping rough. There is one woman who is pregnant and sleeping rough – that shouldn’t happen in this day and age that there is no room at the inn for a pregnant woman.

“But aside from the human tragedy, there is a parallel problem of the damage the homelessness crisis is having on Galway’s image, and the negative impacts it is having on city centre businesses. That’s not to ignore or diminish the terrible human plight suffered by rough sleepers, but we must also acknowledge that it is impacting negatively on Galway’s image, and on businesses,” said Cllr McNelis.

At a recent count last week, on Monday and Tuesday, Fairgreen Hostel (26 beds) and Osterley Lodge (10 single beds) were at 100% occupancy.

On the night of August 14 and morning of August 15 there were a total of 17 rough sleepers in the city, COPE said.

A further 21 people were placed in private emergency accommodation such as B&Bs, hotels and short-term lets in some student digs.

However, COPE has warned that the availability of this accommodation will soon come to an end with the return of students, “with limited alternatives available beyond”.

Cllr McNelis added: “This problem is going to get worse. It is about to blow up in our faces and we need to get more bed capacity for rough sleepers in time for Winter.”