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News Archive 2002
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Annual Report 2001
19th December 2002
PRESS RELEASE
Merchant's Quay Ireland Annual Report Launched by Mr. Vincent Browne on Thursday December 19th at 5.00pm
The Merchants Quay Ireland Annual Report for 2001 was released today. The report shows that the numbers of drug users attending their services over the year increased by 15% to 4,401 with almost 700 new drug users attending over the course of the year. The numbers using our homeless services also increased from 1,740 to 1,828.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Tony Geoghegan, the Director of Merchants Quay Ireland said "The drugs crisis and the homeless crisis have continued unabated for several years. The boom years bypassed our service users. At the time when sales of Mercedez cars exceeded all records so did the numbers of persons homeless and the numbers experiencing major drug problems, now that the boom is over, the sales of Mercedez is in decline but our numbers are continuing to rise. This is not just about statistics - it is about real people who find themselves in deep trouble. At Merchants Quay we help people deal with these troubles, by offering treatment and support for drug users and help in finding accommodation and in meeting the other basic needs of homeless people".
Mr. Geoghegan went on to welcome the real improvements in services for homeless people and drug users during the boom years but was critical of the way the Government was managing the downturn. "It is quite clear that more and more people are turning to drugs and there is still a major crisis in relation to homelessness. The recent budget is set to make matters worse- the Governments decisions to cut back social housing output and cap rent contributions will mean increased hardship and will put many more people are at risk of homelessness. It is at this very juncture that we need to continue investing in the National Drugs Strategy and the Homeless Strategy if we are not to be overwhelmed by these problems in the future.
"Instead we are beginning to see cutbacks. We are told that there is no money for new services, no money to meet increased costs due to inflation, no money to protect the most vunerable from drug related harm. We do not yet know even if the Government will continue to fund the services we delivered this year. We are waiting on confirmation from Government as to how much state funding will be available to fulfil the Governments stated commitments in their homelessness strategy and in the National Drugs Strategy. Next years funding will not be clarified until mid January at the earliest.
"We now find ourselves having to increase our fundraising efforts simply to ensure continuation of what are vital social services. We are appealing to businesses and the general public at this time to support our Christmas Appeal so that we can continue to offer high quality services for drug users and for homeless people
"The poorest people in this society were left behind in the boom years and are at risk of suffering most during the downturn. But different political choices can be made. I would call on the Government to end policies that favour tax breaks for the rich at the expense of vital social services. It is time to end the criminalisation of homeless persons and drug users. It is time to rebuild social saferty nets to prevent people falling into poverty, destitution and homelessness".
Merchants Quay Ireland is a leading Irish charity working with homeless persons and drug users. The organisation provides services ranging from open access crisis intervention and health promotion services, to day support programmes, educational programmes, vocational training and settlement support services. 
Breathe
Book of Poetry and Prose
11th December 2002
PRESS RELEASE
Brown Blob meets the Evil Turkey
- A Book of Poetry and Prose by Recovering Drug Users is Published Today-
Merchants Quay Ireland has today (Thursday, December 11th) launched "Breathe", a collection of poetry and prose written by the residents of their drug rehabilitation project at St. Francis Farm, Tullow Co. Carlow. The book contains 33 poems or prose pieces including "Brown Blob" a tale of culinary disaster, "The Evil Turkey", a poem about a foul fowl and many other light hearted pieces. There are also a number of serious pieces about life on the farm or in the city, about problem drug use and recovery and about hopes for the future.
Mr Tony Geoghegan, Director of Merchants Quay Ireland speaking at the book launch said "St. Francis Farm is one of the most innovative drug rehabilitation services in Europe. The centre operates as part of a working farm whereby the residents are engaged in the day-to-day responsibilities of farm life. Living and working in a rural environment is a new and enriching experience that affords many of the participants their first ever opportunity of stepping off of the treadmill of addiction and reflecting in a new way on their lives. In addition the programme utilises creative writing and other art forms to introduce the residents to new skills and new means of expression."
This current anthology has grown from this reflective space and the experimentation with the new skills that have been developed. It is a mixture of poems, prose, short stories and life experiences.The pieces draw on the different talents and personal histories of some of the many residents that have passed through the Farm. All the contributions are different and unique reflecting the uniqueness of each individual person who took part.
Concluding his remarks Mr. Geoghegan went on to say "This work is a celebration of the lives of ordinary people who have shared their experience of addiction and shared their experience of recovery.
Merchants Quay Ireland are delighted to publish this anthology and wish to thank all the residents and staff of St.Francis Farm who have worked so hard in bringing this book to fruition."
Merchants Quay Ireland is a leading Irish charity working with homeless persons and drug users. The organisation provides services ranging from open access crisis intervention and health promotion services, to day support programmes, educational programmes, vocational training and settlement support services. Almost 5,000 persons benefited from our services in the past year.
Numbers homeless set to rise dramatically
29th November 2002
PRESS RELEASE
The report of the 2002 Assesment of Homelessness in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow was released today. The report shows that the numbers homeless in this region have gone above 4,000 for the first time ever. The number of dependent children stands at over 1,000. Just six years ago there were thought to be only 1,767 homeless people in the entire Eastern Health Board region.. The numbers of people sleeping rough has increased to more than 300.
Speaking after the launch of the report, Tony Geoghegan, the Director of Merchants Quay Ireland predicted a sharp rise in homelessness over the coming years.
"It is very disappointing to see that the number of people homeless is as high as ever.
Over the past three years we have worked with the Homeless Agency and others to improve and expand services for homeless people. There are now more and better services than was previously the case, but clearly the development of services has just kept pace with the numbers becoming homeless. The Government is now planning cuts in funding for Social Housing and a freeze on the amount of Rent Allowance payable to those living in low cost rented accommodation. Taken together with an economic downturn that is placing huge financial pressure on families struggling to meet rent and mortgage repayments, the stage is now set for a substantial rise in homelessness".
Mr. Geoghegan went on to point out how such a situation can be avoided:
"Homelessness is a problem that can be solved. The Homeless Agency has produced an excellent strategy, backed by the Government to address this crisis. The Government must continue to provide resources to fund this strategy. The Government should also reverse its plans to cut funding for Local Authority and Social Housing. Indeed they must invest significant additional monies in affordable housing in order to meet the huge demand that is out there. For years the richest people in Irish society have benefited from a booming economy, while thousands became homeless. Why should the poorest again have to suffer the most when the boom turns to bust? We would ask that the government continues to invest in housing and social services and they find the money to do so through higher taxation on higher income earners or through borrowing."
Merchants Quay Ireland is a leading Irish charity working with homeless persons and drug users. The organisation provides services ranging from open access crisis intervention and health promotion services, to day support programmes, educational programmes, vocational training and settlement support services. More than 1,500 homeless persons benefited from our services in the past year.
Ends/
Groups call for action on AIDS and Hepatitis C crisis in Irish prisons
26th July 2002
PRESS RELEASE
Rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infection have reached epidemic levels among Irish prisoners, yet the response of the Irish Prisons Service falls well short of the guidelines set by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. It also lags far behind best practice established in other prison systems. These are the conclusions of a new report to be released on Friday, July 26th.
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Irish Prisons - A Call for Action is a joint report of the Irish Penal Reform Trust and Merchants Quay Ireland. Based upon the findings of Irish and international research, it outlines twenty-one recommendations towards implementing a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in prisons.
"People in prison have a legal and ethical right to access health care at a level equivalent to that in the general community," says report author, Rick Lines. "This standard is set out in international guidelines and, indeed, in the objectives of the Irish Prisons Service itself. Yet Irish prisoners are denied access to basic HIV and Hepatitis C prevention measures. Prisoners living with HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C face unnecessary barriers to accessing health services. This situation cannot continue, and must be addressed as a matter of urgency by Government."
Some of the reports key findings include
- The rate of HIV infection among Irish prisoners is more than ten times higher than that in the general Irish population.
- The rate of hepatitis C infection among Irish prisoners is more than 100 times higher than in the general Irish population.
- High risk behaviours for the sexual and intravenous transmission of HIV and hepatitis C are wide spread in Irish prisons.
- The current response of the Irish Prison Service to HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C falls short of guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS, and is in violation of the spirit of Article 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Tony Geoghegan, Director of Merchants Quay Ireland, argued that "The National Drugs Strategy endorses the importance of harm reduction programmes, such as syringe exchange, in reducing the transmission of disease among injecting drug users. Study after study - including work by Merchants Quay Ireland - has shown these programmes are both safe and effective. With rates of HIV infection more than ten times higher in prisons than in the general population, we must ask on what basis can we deny prisoners access to these life saving health services?"
"The health of prisoners is an important issue of public health concern," says Dr. Valerie Bresnihan, Chair of the Irish Penal Reform Trust. "Everyone in the prison environment - whether they are prisoners, prison staff, or family members - benefits from enhancing the health of prisoners, and reducing the incidence of disease. The high degree of mobility between prison and community also means that illnesses or health conditions developed or exacerbated in prison necessarily become community health issues when people are released. For these reasons, the issue of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in prisons demands immediate attention from community and Government alike."
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Irish Prisons: A Call for Action will be released on
Friday, July 26th at 9.30 a.m. at Merchants Quay Ireland, 4 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8
First Annual Conference - Report
First Annual Conference
19th July 2002
Homelessness and Problem Drug Use - Two Faces of Exclusion
Our first annual conference addressed the separate but related issues of homelessness and problem drug use and provided a good opportunity for practitioners and policy makers from different fields to get together and learn from one another.
The aims of the conference were to:
- Counteract the tendency of people to see problems in isolation from one another
- Gain a more holistic view of homelessness and drug use as manifestations of poverty and social exclusion
- Understand better the policy context in which these problems can rapidly develop
- Learn about new ways to respond effectively
- Learn from new research in these areas.
Click here for the full conference report.
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