Policy and Reports
A Better City for All
Published in June 2012 this report involving 11 agencies, including Dublin Simon Community, finds that problematic drug users should have greater access to treatment options nationally, with more local services available closer to people's homes. Click here to read the full report
Women and Homelessness in Ireland
This 2012 report finds that seven out of 10 women living on the street suffered violence or abuse as children while early school-leavers and young girls brought up in poverty were also more likely to become homeless.
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Steering group report on National Substance Misuse Strategy
This 2012 report makes several recommendations regarding the sale and advertising of alcohol in Ireland. It calls for a ban on all sponsorship by drinks companies of sporting and large outdoor events, a ban on all outdoor advertising of alcohol, an increase in excise duties on some alcohol products and the introduction of a minimum price per gram of alcohol.
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Bringing Methadone to Homeless Heroin Users
This 2011 review of Safetynet's Methadone programme describes and evaluates the programme in terms of its impact on patients’ drug use and homeless status. Click here to read the full report
Dublin Simon Community Snap Shot Health Report 2011
This snap shot health survey highlights the health complexities, both mental and physical affecting people experiencing homelessness
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Homelessness Makes You Sick, Dublin Simon Community Snap Shot Health Report 2010
This snap shot health survey highlights the health complexities, both mental and physical, affecting people experiencing homelessness and also looks at the use of alcohol and substances among the 349 person sample. Research took place during the last week in July and was published on October 5th.
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Dublin Simon Community Health Survey 2009
This snap shot health survey highlights the health complexities, both mental and physical experienced by people experiencing homlessness while also looking at the use of alcohol and substances among the 300 person sample. Research took place between October 27th - November 2nd 2009.
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Evaluation of the Safetynet Methadone Programme Pilot at the Dublin Simon Emergency Shelter, July 2008
This evaluation, undertaken after six months of the methadone programme implementation, highlights that the majority of drug users in a hostel for persons experiencing homelessness can be successfully treated using the Methadone Protocol.
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Pre-Budget Submission from the Simon Communities of Ireland to the Department of Finance, September 2007
Budget 2008 presents an ideal opportunity for Government to lay the foundations for an end to homelessness by offering adequate and consistent support for health-related interventions, funding homeless services adequately, increasing investment in social housing and providing the necessary supports to allow people to sustain permanent accommodation.
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Pre-Budget Submission by the MakeRoom Alliance to the Department of Finance, September 2007
Budget 2008 must lay the foundations for realisation of the Governments objective to end homelessness by 2010 which will involve a number of interventions that need to now be delivered by Government. These interventions focus on homeless service provision, supply and allocation of long-term housing and investment in preventative measures.
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Submission by the Simon Communities of Ireland to the OECD Review of the Irish Public Service, August 2007
In recent years there has been significant public investment in services targeting homelessness in Ireland. However we believe that significant weaknesses still exist in the Irish Public Service system. These impede the effectiveness of such services and the ability of service delivery organisations such as Simon to deliver on our vision of ending homelessness in Ireland.
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Submission by the MakeRoom Alliance on Development of New Homeless Strategy
This submission is intended to input into the development of the new national homeless strategy that is in the process of being drafted by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
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Submission by the Simon Communities of Ireland to the Garda Síochána Policing Plan 2008, August 2007
The Simon Communities of Ireland welcome the opportunity to make a submission with regard to the development of the Garda Síochána Policing Plan 2008. The work of An Garda Síochána throughout the country is highly relevant to the activities of the Simon Communities of Ireland.
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Multiple Barriers, Multiple Solutions: Inclusion Into and Through Employment For People Who are Homeless in Europe. FEANTSA National Report for Ireland, July 2007
This is the Irish National Report in response to the FEANTSA Questionnaire 2007 on ‘Multiple Barriers, Multiple Solutions: Inclusion Into and Through Employment for People Who Are Homeless in Europe’. It discusses a number of aspects in relation to employment and homelessness in Ireland.
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