'It’s our responsibility': plans for new homeless accommodation in Tipperary welcomed

A councillor in Tipperary has welcomed plans for a new temporary accommodation for those experiencing homelessness, which was recently announced for Tipperary Town.

At the December meeting for the Tipperary/Cahir/Cashel Municipal District, Fine Gael councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan told the meeting that she welcomed the news of the emergency accommodation in Tipperary Town, known as 'Own Front Door' accommodation. 

“I welcome the own front door, it’s something that we want. It’s working in Clonmel and councillors here spoke before about people having to leave Tipperary Town and to go to Clonmel for this, and that not being feasible.

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"A lot of work has gone in from the housing section to get to here. People will have concerns and rumours will go out, but we have to quash all that. It’s our responsibility to house people and take them out of homelessness,” said Cllr Hourigan.

In response to Fine Gael Cllr John Crosse asking for a meeting to be held to inform the public about the service due to misinformation, Cllr Hourigan said “sometimes these meetings can cause more damage than anything. I think our job as public representatives who represent this town, where we have a huge need for housing, we need anything we can do to take people,” she told the meeting.

“I know a girl who’s living with rats, it’s a shame and a shame on our government, of which I’m a member of, that we’re in this situation. I think we need to do everything we can to get this up and running as soon as possible,” she concluded.

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