Agenda and minutes

Agreed: Minutes agreed.

Agreed: Defer determinationon Scheme of Lettings until the April meeting of the Housing SPC.

Mary Hayes, Administrative Officer explained the main points of the review.

Brendan Kenny, Assistant Chief Executive briefed members about the SoL Sub-Group & report.

Discussion followed.

Agreed: Supplementary SoL proposals for the next Housing SPC meeting in April.

Tony Flynn, Executive Manager provided background to the discussion paper/report.

Ø  Presentation :  Darach O’Connor, Senior Executive Officer summarised the main proposals.

Discussion Followed.

Agreed:

ØThe report to include the following wording as suggested by Cllr. Pat Dunne; That all housing units on currently owned DCC and other publicly owned lands will be used only for Public Rented Models.

ØInformation in relation to Funding Models available shall be brought to the May Housing SPC meeting.

That this meeting of DCC  call on the CEO and the Director of Dublin Region Homeless Executive to issue a full, clear and comprehensive statement on the recent media reports of homeless individuals being ‘sectioned’ by a doctor belonging to the medical charity ‘Safetynet’. 

These media reports were contained in the Irish times and other media outlets.  The report was also filmed for the Irish Times website and detailed how individuals were being sectioned under Section 4, Section 8 and Section 13 of the 2001 mental health act.

This sectioning would appear to have been carried out in the presence of the Housing First Intake team (IFIT).  IFIT is jointly run by Focus Ireland and the Fr Peter McVerry Trust who are funded by Dublin City Council. 

I would like this report to address the issues of how the media came to be involved in this sensitive issue? What protocols and guidelines are there in place for such procedures to be enacted on homeless individuals?

What oversight and independent assessment or second opinion is available in these instances? Was the Homeless Executive of DCC made fully aware of these issues?

Was the data protection act breached in any way by media presence which could readily identify any individual who was taken into care under such circumstances?

Also, who takes overall responsibility for this most sensitive of issues?  Surely a person in entitled to their privacy and their integrity no matter what the circumstances. To certify a person is a very serious matter and in this instance there is potential for breach of constitutional rights and basic human and civil rights.

The media reports and indeed the Irish Times Video report seem to concern themselves much more with sensationalisation then a homeless person’s privacy.

Reasons for emergency motion:

There has been general disquiet and fear generated among those that are homeless and sleeping rough on our streets. This fear was generated by this well publicised event and individuals are now in terror of being simply picked up against their wishes and sectioned under the mental health act. Dublin City Council needs to make a clear statement on this matter so as to assure individuals, who are already in a very vulnerable situation, of their rights.

 It is unacceptable in this day and age that DCC who assumes overall responsibility for homelessness and rough sleepers allow this to happen in the manner that it did without any regard whatsoever for homeless individuals, rough sleepers and their families.

Please see attached sensationalised media report from the Irish Times.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/services-sectioning-homeless-people-who-refuse-shelter-1.3413507

Agreed: Motion agreed without debate.

Agreed: Housing SPC administrator to send an e-mail to Cllrs. seeking an expression of interest to participate in the Condensation Sub-Group.

Chair thanked all for their attendance,

Cllr. Daithi Doolan

CHAIRPERSON