By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
Dublin City Council has put contingency plans in place to protect homeless people from extreme temperatures in the coming days.
A high temperature warning has been issued for Ireland beginning on Sunday, with temperatures of up to 32 degrees possible in places on Monday and people advised to take precautions against getting sunburn or heatstroke.
A council spokesperson said: “Dublin City Council, as the lead statutory authority in the Dublin Region, is co-ordinating the response to ensure homeless persons at risk are sheltered for the duration of any extreme weather event.
“In response to the hot weather warning expected over the coming days, arrangements are in place with service providers to ensure that temporary shelter will continue to be available to all who wish to access it.
“The DRHE-funded Dublin Street Outreach Service and Housing First Intake Team (provided by Dublin Simon & Peter McVerry Trust) will be engaging with those at risk of rough sleeping in order to provide shelter for anyone who needs it.”
The outreach teams will ensure the distribution of water and sunscreen, the provision of shelter as required, and the encouragement of people to be sun aware.
They will also use social media to ask the public to report people sleeping rough during the hot weather.
The council encouraged anyone requiring emergency accommodation to contact their local authority or the freephone number for its homeless services – 1800 707 707.
Coasts and waterways
Met Éireann said the “exceptionally warm weather” will bring daytime temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees, while nighttime temperatures will range from 15 to 20 degrees.
Fine Gael senator Barry Ward said people must bear in mind the importance of keeping safe around coasts and inland waterways.
He said: “As a heatwave continues across Ireland, there is an increased demand for rescue services; the Coast Guard, the lifeboat and other emergency services face additional pressures.
“Met Éireann have issued a high temperature advisory warning for the entire country with temperatures set to reach 30C. Beaches and lakes around Ireland will likely be busier than ever.
“Swimming, paddleboarding, sailing, windsurfing and using our marine amenities for leisure is part and parcel of good weather but we must always remember that it is easy to get into trouble in the water.
“We know we must protect our skin from the sun, but we must also protect ourselves and our loved ones from the dangers that can be present in and around the water.
“Following the tragic death of a teenage boy who got into difficulty swimming in Howth this week, we must all work to ensure such tragedy does not recur anywhere in Ireland this weekend.
“We want to prevent accidents as much as possible, so that if someone gets into trouble in the water they can quickly be given the help they need.
“We don’t want to see a situation where emergency services are too busy to come to the aid of swimmers, divers or boaters, so help our emergency services by making sure you don’t need their help.”
