Fr McVerry: People 'safer sleeping rough than in some emergency hostels'
Some of the hostel provision being offered to homeless people is so bad that they are better off sleeping rough, according to campaigner Fr Peter McVerry.
Fr McVerry says that some of the emergency hostels are a disgrace and are intimidating places.
Speaking at the RENUA Ireland think-in he said that people in recovery from drug addiction were being placed in rooms with active drug users.
Fr McVerry said that in many cases homeless people are better off sleeping rough.
He said: "Drugs are being used in the middle of the night, drugs are being offered to people. You sleep with your runners under the pillow, because they won't be there in the morning.
"So they really are quite intimidating places, and for some people, such as people who are drug-free, people in recovery or young vulnerable people - I tell them not to go in.
"It is safer sleeping rough than it is in some of those hostels."
