Were Dublin CC right to remove coats donated to the homeless from Ha'peny Bridge?

freshpopcorn

A man recently started a campaign asking people to leave coats for the homeless on Ha'penny bridge. I think they received over 40 coats and DCC removed them.
I believe they were donated to charity.
Now DCC are receiving a massive backlash online but I can see why it had to be done. I believe the guy who started the campaign meant well and those who donated the coats also but It may have got out of hand and another drop off point would be more suited.
It may have turned to a dumping ground for people's unwanted tat also from what I've being told by people working in the charity sector.

Salary Negotiator

It absolutely would have turned into a dumping ground.

Charities get so much clothing donated that they have to export a lot of it, there’s no shortage of clothing for the homeless.

I lived beside a SVP shop and there was a truck there 2 days a week taking donations away, only the items the shop thought it could sell were kept.

punisher5112

Such a stupid idea.....

I get it people have it tough but come on seriously putting coats out, funny thing is the ones with money were probably the ones taking them a d the Roma gypsies also as seen them at them....

There are way too many charities and too much money been squandered and this would be a much better place to start.....

Huge amount of services provided and shelters and accommodation but most you see out won't go in as they can continue to use and smoke and drink when out on their own.....

Obviously it's sad and it's horrible to see but these people don't need coats they need help and treatment and methadone ain't working.

freshpopcorn

freshpopcorn wrote: »

A man recently started a campaign asking people to leave coats for the homeless on Ha'penny bridge. I think they received over 40 coats and DCC removed them.
I believe they were donated to charity.
Now DCC are receiving a massive backlash online but I can see why it had to be done. I believe the guy who started the campaign meant well and those who donated the coats also but it may have got out of hand and another drop off point would be more suited.
it may have turned to a dumping ground for people's unwanted tat also from what I've being told by people working in the charity sector.

Tubridy went on a rant about that yesterday, completely understanding possible implications.

As you said, peoples unwanted tat.

Rock up to Capuchin House with your donated sweaty, dirty old rain coat and it would be rejected.

Lets also remember there was high winds over the weekend and into Monday night. If they all end up in the Liffey they are of no use to anyone.

Its a nice idea but there are places and systems already in place. If you want to donate something, bring your items there.

Or give something directly to a person you identify as homeless. Let he or she accept or reject your second hand coat.

piplip87

People also forget about the weather. It's been a wet and windy few days. So you could have coats blowing about the Quays, Coats in the river, What if a coat blew up onto the windscreen if a bus ?

Also who would want to take a wet coat ?

There is a massive online backlash against anything to do with the homeless. Alot of people looking for likes.

One case for instance is in Navan. Apparently a homeless guy was refused service in MC Donnalds. As usual a SJW posted a long post about a homeless guy asked him to get him food as he was refused service. One long Facebook post later with loads of shares, it comes out that the guy is not homeless, an alcoholic who is barred from half the town for fighting, and been abusive to staff. It's the same with the jackets any excuse to post about the homeless while looking for likes.

enricoh

What is there in Dublin -150 people living on the streets any one night?
Have we hit 150 charities catering for them yet!

Have the Roma gypsies access to a forklift to help load up stuff. If not the next charity to emerge should provide one!

One eyed Jack

Idiots love nothing more than joining in on a good backlash to “stick it to the man”, in this case DCC.

The location of the coats simply presented numerous safety issues. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put a coat depot there obviously wanted the bit of exposure on social media as opposed to just having a coat depot anywhere in the city for people who are homeless. I’ve seen it done in other cities and it works well, there’s nobody takes all the coats and there’s no shìtty coats left out either. It’s based upon good will, no need for all the backslapping on social media.

Given our recent weather, what good would wet, cold clothes be to wet, cold people. DCC did the right thing.

For Forks Sake

enricoh wrote: »

What is there in Dublin -150 people living on the streets any one night?
Have we hit 150 charities catering for them yet!

92 (well down on what it was last year) according to latest figures:
https://www.thejournal.ie/mendicity-institution-cold-weather-strategy-4920951-Dec2019/

GooglePlus

I was at Arthur's Quay in Limerick on Friday on they had a similar set up, but the jackets were taken and left at a designated stall, which was sheltered from the rain.

Anyone who argues that they should have been left up, should try wearing a soaked through jacket for a few hours and see how quick their mind changes.

is_that_so

It's hard to make sense of what it hopes to achieve. Anyone unaware would wonder why there were grotty coats hanging on the bridge. Agree completely on the weather issue.

SEPT 23 1989

Not very dignified for a homeless person to be trying on coats in the middle of a very busy pedestrian bridge

JohnnyFlash

It’s span new runners the homeless lads are I n the market for. Not some 2nd hand jacket. This is the most pointless type of virtue signalling.

markodaly

Homelessness is the Irish version of 'wokeness'
In America is about's "As a white person, I stand with People of Colour..blah blah'.
In Ireland, its all about feeding and doing 'something' for the homeless people.

If people really wanted to tackle the issue, then they would be advocating a doubling of property tax, which can go on to build social housing.

suicide_circus

nice thought but not thought out.

Boggles

markodaly wrote: »

If people really wanted to tackle the issue, then they would be advocating a doubling of property tax, which can go on to build social housing.

The situation with housing has got worse since the introduction of the LPT.

I think the gesture was well intentioned and at first I thought the council picking them up again was mean spirited.

But I didn’t factor in the weather and the implications of a coat blowing onto a windscreen or into the river. So, the council did the right thing.

I’m sure the hundred odd rough sleepers avail of soup kitchens and other services so probably better if the coats were also near there and dry.

markodaly

Boggles wrote: »

The situation with housing has got worse since the introduction of the LPT.

Since Joe Schmit became the Irish Rugby coach, the housing situation has gotten worse. It makes as much sense as your post.

LPT should be increased, massively with the LA taking in the revenue and put towards social housing. This should not be a controversial statement.

Boggles

markodaly wrote: »

Since Joe Schmit became the Irish Rugby coach, the housing situation has gotten worse. It makes as much sense as your post.

Well that's just plain silly.

Schmit doesn't raise 100s of millions for local governance.

markodaly wrote: »

LPT should be increased, massively with the LA taking in the revenue and put towards social housing. This should not be a controversial statement.

Well it should be put towards local housing, but how much did Fine Gael funnel into the startup of the cash grab Irish Water, half a billion?

I think they have proven without doubt they can't not be trusted, so no, lets not for once tax the shít of people to give it an inept pack of idiots who will spunk it away as soon as they get it in.

Bigbagofcans

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

It absolutely would have turned into a dumping ground.

Charities get so much clothing donated that they have to export a lot of it, there’s no shortage of clothing for the homeless.

I lived beside a SVP shop and there was a truck there 2 days a week taking donations away, only the items the shop thought it could sell were kept.

But there's a shortage of good quality clothes/shoes. I'm sure people have lots of barely worn clothes/shoes but instead they bring in a lot of tat that won't sell.

markodaly

Boggles wrote: »

I think they have proven without doubt they can't not be trusted, so no, lets not for once tax the shít of people to give it an inept pack of idiots who will spunk it away as soon as they get it in.

How very Tory of you.

You call yourself left-wing but advocate small state and low taxes. Mind 'Boggles'.

Thinkingaboutit

Barely controlled mass immigration is a major factor alongside foolish housing policies (refusing to build social housing, instead buying or renting expensive private units, FF ending bedsits, tax policies favouring REITs who take scarce land and offer rents only affordable to the wealthier, etc).

padd b1975

Needed to be nipped in the bud and was.

Before you know it, you would have had slacktivists "checking in" at the Ha'penny Bridge on Facebook.

Boggles

markodaly wrote: »

How very Tory of you.

You call yourself left-wing but advocate small state and low taxes. Mind 'Boggles'.

No I don't.

I think anyone that pigeon holes themselves into any particular ideology is an absolute cretin.

But back to the point, FG have proven without doubt that they can't be trusted with public spending, engaging in fraud to gorge the purse doesn't seem to bother them much either.

So no, no more increases for that shower. It would be pointless.

CrankyHaus

The point people miss is that leaving things in a public space in the vague hope that someone else will take it away is actually littering.

This littering was well intentioned. But a littered space encourages more people to litter, and then fly tip. North Inner City Dublin in particular has a culture of people dropping off a filled black bin bag in any space where rubbish is left for any space of time. Near me any house or building that's being worked on will have rubbish bags opportunistically added to the builders rubbish in the front garden within a day or two at most.

Salary Negotiator

Bigbagofcans wrote: »

But there's a shortage of good quality clothes/shoes. I'm sure people have lots of barely worn clothes/shoes but instead they bring in a lot of tat that won't sell.

And you think the clothes left on the railings will be any better?

oLoonatic

As a once off to raise awareness I get the sentiment. But it is not practical and certainly not safe.

bureau2009

Dubllin City Council - and others - seem obsessed with Health & Safety.

I'd have thought being homeless was a major threat to health and safety?

Eric Cartman

bureau2009 wrote: »

Dubllin City Council - and others - seem obsessed with Health & Safety.

I'd have thought being homeless was a major threat to health and safety?

So is the chronic drink and or drug addictions that the vast majority of the under 200 rough sleepers in dublin have, but sure giving them wet coats should absolutely come above the safe enjoyment and condition of the cities most iconic bridge by dublins other 1 million residents

markodaly

Boggles wrote: »

No I don't.

I think anyone that pigeon holes themselves into any particular ideology is an absolute cretin.

But back to the point, FG have proven without doubt that they can't be trusted with public spending, engaging in fraud to gorge the purse doesn't seem to bother them much either.

So no, no more increases for that shower. It would be pointless.

What fraud is this?

Boggles

markodaly wrote: »

What fraud is this?

Did you not get the circular?

In the past month or so we found out.

Maria Bailey
Alan Farrell
Dara Murphy

markodaly

Boggles wrote: »

Did you not get the circular?

In the past month or so we found out.

Maria Bailey
Alan Farrell
Dara Murphy

Best go to your local Garda station so and report this.
Meanwhile.... we talk about FG again.

Yawn.

Boggles

markodaly wrote: »

Best go to your local Garda station so and report this.

No need, Charles is aware, I'm sure he'll sort it out.

markodaly

Lovely.....

However, I do like this chat with Boggles as it exemplifies yet again what is wrong with Irish society,

Decry the Irish government for not fixing the housing crisis.
Demand lower property tax at the same time.

We really are a bunch of muppets.

CrabRevolution

I hate the phrase "virtue signalling" and in almost 99% of cases it's used the commenter is peddling some nonsense or using it in a way that makes no sense, but this event is the first time I feel the need to use it.

There may be some thought or goodwill involved for some people, but it just looks like a masturbatory, self gratifying, attention seeking stunt to me.

It's really a case of "donating to SVP/homeless charities doesn't focus enough attention on me, and also doesn't allow me to rant against the man, so we've to up it a notch" Hence it somehow seeming like a good idea to leave piles of rain soaked clothing out for days in the elements in windy weather on a busy pedestrian walkway, in the bizarre delusion that all that will happen is a random rough sleeper who somehow has no other options will help himself to a coat.

punisher5112

Dun laohhaire rathdown cc would love all of you saying increase PT.....

45 million for a library and some office space....

We are been played big time....

Too many charities and money pissed out on huge wages etc

Idbatterim

markodaly wrote: »

Since Joe Schmit became the Irish Rugby coach, the housing situation has gotten worse. It makes as much sense as your post.

LPT should be increased, massively with the LA taking in the revenue and put towards social housing. This should not be a controversial statement.

LOl! With how our councils go about securing ridiculously expensive accommodation for social housing ?! An example being the three thousand per month for some apartments they are renting in Dundrum ? They are renting an entire newly built block for twenty five years at obscene cost ! I

Boggles

markodaly wrote: »

Decry the Irish government for not fixing the housing crisis.
Demand lower property tax at the same time.

Who demanded lower property, tax?

You demanded it should be doubled, again as I pointed out, it would just be wasted.

markodaly wrote: »

We really are a bunch of muppets.

No argument from me.

markodaly

markodaly wrote: »

Lovely.....

However, I do like this chat with Boggles as it exemplifies yet again what is wrong with Irish society,

Decry the Irish government for not fixing the housing crisis.
Demand lower property tax at the same time.

We really are a bunch of muppets.

Ah here. Why should I pay more property tax when councils go and spend it paying ridiculously large leases on luxury apartments.

osarusan

markodaly wrote: »

Demand lower property tax at the same time.

That's not what happened though is it.

You said it should be raised, Boggles said that would be a waste as it would be frittered away. Saying it's pointless to raise it is not the same thing at all as saying it should be lowered.

I haven't seen anybody on this thread call for lower property tax.

Colonel Claptrap

I predict we will see another Apollo House this Christmas.

Boggles

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Ah here. Why should I pay more property tax

How else are they going to pay 10s of millions for white water rafting in Dublin?

Boggles

Colonel Claptrap wrote: »

I predict we will see another Apollo House this Christmas.

It will be call Adonis House.

Kermit.de.frog

Dublin's homeless problem is no worse than anywhere else (statistically it's just below the average of advanced countries) even accounting for our daftly broad definitions of what is "homelessness".

By percentage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_homeless_population

Germany 0.37%
UK 0.46%
Ireland 0.22%
USA 0.12%

Even then our definition of homelessness is generous to say the least (the term being abused now to get bumped up housing lists).

Anyone homeless is a tragedy but it's being blown out of all proportion in this country.

Boggles

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Dublin's homeless problem is no worse than anywhere else (statistically it's just below the average of advanced countries) even accounting for our daftly broad definitions of what is "homelessness".

By percentage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_homeless_population

Germany 0.37%
UK 0.46%
Ireland 0.22%
USA 0.12%

Even then our definition of homelessness is generous to say the least (the term being abused now to get bumped up housing lists).

Anyone homeless is a tragedy but it's being blown out of all proportion in this country.

How do those countries define homelessness compared to ours?

markodaly

osarusan wrote: »

That's not what happened though is it.

You said it should be raised, Boggles said that would be a waste as it would be frittered away. Saying it's pointless to raise it is not the same thing at all as saying it should be lowered.

I haven't seen anybody on this thread call for lower property tax.

If given the opportunity, the Irish electorate would in a heartbeat abolish LPT.
The proof in the pudding is most LA reducing it by the maximum 15% when it came in, then at the same time councilors complaining they had no money for Social Housing.

dhaughton99

“The Official Winter Rough Sleeper Count was also published this week and found that a total of 92 people are confirmed as rough sleeping across the Dublin region in Winter 2019 compared to 152 in 2018.”

92

https://www.thejournal.ie/mendicity-institution-cold-weather-strategy-4920951-Dec2019/

Idbatterim

the more money government here have, the more they will waste. I was previously for raising LPT. I am against it now, they dont bother collecting millions in rent from social housing, charge a pittance for it. Make bizarre, financially insane decisions to rent council housing at a fortune, reducing the amount of housing they can provide. Taking these properties away from the private rental market :mad::rolleyes:

There is no issue with funding here, its idiotic governance and financial recklessness that is the issue!

these people that get social housing, dont even pay LPT , they dont pay management fees etc. Despite getting the place for a pittance and other homeowners should contribute to this insanity? LOL!

They need to build there own units, on OUR land, never sell them off. Charge an appropriate rent!

markodaly

markodaly wrote: »

LPT should be increased, massively with the LA taking in the revenue and put towards social housing. This should not be a controversial statement.

Hang on a second! My view of the homeless is that it's by and large a structured and orchestrated problem by many people trying to get up, and on, the housing list, who don't have actual 'homelessness' as a problem.


Perhaps I've grown up around too many chancers and can see through many of the social issues, but there is no shortage of assistance to the homeless. The only ones who seem to be sleeping rough are the ones who refuse to get their act together (Drink/Drugs) or those who prefer to sleep rough for whatever reason.


This country has many problems, but it doesn't let you die on the streets unless you really put up a fight. All it takes are trivial levels of personal responsibility to see yourself in a warm building at night with your own bed.

James Brown

Completely wrong on a number of fronts:

It's a nice gesture not doing any harm.
Some rough sleepers might be very grateful.

If you want to be completely cynical, I had friends from different parts of the world talking about how great it was. It really put a nice spin on Dublin, which could only help with tourism.

blanch152

Boggles wrote: »

No I don't.

I think anyone that pigeon holes themselves into any particular ideology is an absolute cretin.

But back to the point, FG have proven without doubt that they can't be trusted with public spending, engaging in fraud to gorge the purse doesn't seem to bother them much either.

So no, no more increases for that shower. It would be pointless.

The government isn't Fine Gael. The government is us, we the people. The government acts as the conduit to the homeless, but if we don't give the government tax, the government can't address the homelessness problem.