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Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Wicklow charitymarks 15 years as annual report highlights ‘helping homeless with dignity'
Senator Aubrey McCarthy marked the milestone with a reminder of how 'a small group of us came together to create an organisation dedicated to helping those facing addiction and homelessness with dignity', and described 2024 as 'both busy and impactful'. In his message, he pointed to huge challenges in the early part of the year, when, in February, the demand for homeless services surged at Tiglin's Lighthouse homeless café, in Dublin. "Despite limited resources, the team persevered, distributing essentials to those in need,' he said. He was rewarded personally for his endeavours when he was bestowed with the Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year award, in May, something he modestly described as a 'true team effort'. This was followed in June, when he was 'both surprised and delighted' to be presented with the RDS Lifetime Achievement Award. From a challenging start, the year ended on a hugely positive note, with the organisation benefitting from a €1.4m grant to enhance women's recovery facilities, in September, followed by the October purchase of the Loreto convent in Bray. CEO Phil Thompson called the acquisition of the Bray facility 'remarkable', and noted how the site, currently home to around 40 Ukrainian nationals, 'opens new possibilities for Tiglin to address housing and healthcare needs for vulnerable populations'. "Looking ahead, we are excited to collaborate with Wicklow County Council and other state bodies to unlock the full potential of this site,' he said. The event, on Thursday, May 22, was hosted by Senator McCarthy, who was recently appointed to the Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Local Government, and showcased the charity's impactful and life-changing work across the country. The report itself outlines a year of intense activity and growing need. In 2024 alone, Tiglin's frontline Lighthouse Café served over 100,000 hot meals – an indicator of the deepening crisis of homelessness and hardship in Ireland. Social Care in Action brought together members of the Oireachtas, frontline workers, service users, and supporters. It offered a rare opportunity for policymakers to hear directly from those working on, and affected by, the realities of Ireland's social care landscape. A central theme was the role of lived experience in shaping effective national policy, particularly in the areas of addiction recovery, housing, and reintegration. ADVERTISEMENT Among the speakers were Tiglin graduates Paul and Nicola, who shared powerful personal stories of transformation. Nicola reflected on her past. 'My main goal for the day used to be just to drink. That was it. And saying it now, it's heartbreaking,' she said. Nicola was a participant in RTE's riveting three-part documentary in April, Hooked, hosted by Dr Brian Pennie. She was in the latter stages of treatment for alcohol addiction at Tiglin's Women's Centre in Greystones, and recounted how her days were shaped by addiction. These days, as part of Tiglin's reintegration programme, she's working in the bakery at the Rise coffee shop, while studying and slowly rebuilding herself as she strives to 'dip back into reality and to life'. Meanwhile, Paul, who also spoke at the launch, described how his life has too changed: 'Right now, in the community, I'm not 'Paul the addict' anymore,' he said. 'I'm just Paul. People don't know my past unless I tell them. And for the first time, I see a future – one where I give back and help others find their way too.' Today, Tiglin operates across seven locations, offering rehabilitation, supported housing, education, youth outreach, and community employment programmes. All of its work is grounded in a holistic, person-centred approach of restoration and dignity. The 2024 Annual Report highlights some remarkable outcomes for the organisation, including:
The Journal
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Government urged not to cut third-level education funding for people in addiction recovery
A LEADING ADDICTION and homelessness charity is urging the Department of Education to supply further funding for a programme that has seen hundreds of people in addiction recovery gain third level education, including rehabilitation centre residents. Aubrey McCarthy, the CEO of Tiglin Dublin, a charity that runs a number of addiction rehabilitation centres, and outreach services for homelessness and addiction, has warned that if funding is not guaranteed, it will prevent another 110-130 people in recovery from commencing courses in September. Previously the Government provided €833k allocated to South East Technological University (SETU) to deliver third level courses to people in addiction recovery, including those who are full time residents in Tiglin's rehabilitation centres. The Department of Further and Higher Education today told The Journal that that funding is to last until December, and that no agreement has been reached to further fund the initiative. Jay Bobinac, who works with the charity, said that if the funding is not renewed or replaced, it will create a 'significant gap' in the services offered to people in their care, which are essential for preparing them for the next step in their lives. The charity's annual report, released today, shows that 111 residents with Tiglin successfully completed SETU-accredited courses, including certificates in foundations of adult learning, communication, and health and wellbeing in social care practice. The service also helped people to build their CV's and prepare for future employment. Paul Killen, 60, was one of the residents who completed a course. Having struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia in the past, he had always found education to be a source of 'fear and frustration'. 'I've learned that if you give me time and break things down for me, I can understand. The more courses I took, the more confident I became,' he said. Initially, Paul was 'terrified' of computers. 'Now I can send emails, use Outlook, and write a CV. These things seemed impossible before, but through education, I've proven to myself that I can achieve more than I thought,' he said. Advertisement He now holds qualifications in Addiction Studies, Aftercare, and a Level 6 in Key Working and Case Management. Paul struggled with drug addiction throughout his life, but with the support of Tiglin, he says he has been able to tackle the emotional issues at the root of his issues. 'I finally understood my problem – it wasn't the drugs, it was rejection. I felt rejected from the day I was born. Here, I found a voice,' he said. Education has been a key part of Paul's recovery, and building his confidence. Now he feels he has rebuilt his life, and he is in employment, and has a relationship with his adult children for the first time. 'Right now, in the community, I'm not 'Paul the addict' anymore. I'm just Paul,' he said. McCarthy, the charity's CEO is hoping that future funding will be committed to, so another group of more than 100 people can undertake courses in the next academic year. 'We are calling on the Minister for Further and Higher Education to recognise the profound impact this initiative has had and to explore options for renewing or replacing this essential funding,' he said. In 2024 Tiglin expanded its overall services. It supported 220 residents in supported housing, and 134 people in rehabilitation centres. It also provided over 100,000 hot meals through its frontline Lighthouse cafe in Dublin city centre, which it also uses as a means of outreach to connect people to other services. Tiglin played a crucial role in responding to the International Protection Applicant homelessness crisis in the past year, which saw many people who came to Ireland to seek safety living in tents along the Grand Canal. In 2024, the main presenting substance issue amongst the charity's service users was alcohol (31.5%), followed by cocaine powder (24.9%) and crack cocaine (16.9%). Other substances accounted for 10.8% of presentations while Benzodiazepines were at 8.2%, and Heroin use was at 7.7%. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
03-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Paula O'Reilly: ‘Not dying enough' was the response when I tried to get end-of-life help for my mother
The term was used to explain why we weren't able to get the homecare and other supports we required to bring my mom home from hospital. This was said very apologetically to me by a healthcare professional who had gone the extra mile for us. This was just one of the challenges we had faced in those last three months of my mother's life. Instead of being her daughter, I felt like a project manager. My focus was on trying to overcome obstacles and inform ourselves as a family as to how we could honour her wish to be cared for at home. We had navigated our way through organising our own carer, sourcing a hospital bed and finding support for medication management – all due to services not being able to respond in a timely and co-ordinated way. This created a constant level of stress about whether we could manage it ourselves. There were times we seriously debated whether we needed to go to A&E, simply because there were no out-of-hours supports available. These challenges, I would find out, are all too familiar to families and loved ones supporting someone with a life limiting illness. Last year, the National End of Life survey (NELs) reported that the care in the final two days of life was good or very good – which was our experience. In those final days, my mom received night nursing and community palliative care and the support was excellent. The NELs also reported that as people move out to the last months of life, the experience becomes much less positive. Care in the community – where most people wish to spend their final months – was rated the lowest across all settings, despite being the preferred option for so many. In fact, NELs responses indicated that fewer than half of those surveyed (45pc) felt there was good co-ordination of care across different settings in the last three months of life. However, in the last two days of life, that percentage rose to 74pc. When it came to communication at end of life, all those surveyed indicated that a discussion about what to expect when dying would have been helpful, but there were very different outcomes depending on the setting in which a person's loved one was based. In home-based settings, 24pc of people said healthcare staff did not speak to them about what to expect when their loved one was dying. In nursing homes, 64pc of bereaved relatives said healthcare staff spoke to them about what to expect, and 28pc reported not having this discussion. In a hospice setting, 83pc of bereaved relatives indicated that staff spoke to them about what to expect when their loved one was dying. Conversely, for those in a hospital setting, 76pc of participants said a discussion about what to expect when their relative was dying would have been helpful. The challenges faced by families were highlighted to me again this month when I heard Senator Aubrey McCarthy raise his concerns regarding his own personal experience with a friend wanting to be discharged to die at home, but the supports weren't available. ADVERTISEMENT I also learnt recently that A&E deaths account for 20pc of all deaths in acute settings. I couldn't help but wonder what that end-of-life journey might look like for the person if communities could support them better earlier on. This is similar to what the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) is hearing through our recently launched information and support line, where a recurring theme relates to loved ones reporting that they are being left to case-manage the person who is dying. The care at the end of life is not just those last couple of days, which we know we can do well, but the challenge is accessing the right supports at the right time in a co-ordinated manner in those last months of life. Family and loved ones will always play an important role in supporting the person in their end-of-life journey. However, in order for communities to support a good death, it includes having the right information, timely supports and training for families and carers. The IHF can offer support to families. We are adding a range of new resources to support people who are caring for a loved one at end of life, with accessible online training and information resources including booklets available in different languages at The freephone information and support line is also available to offer valuable and relevant one-to-one support and advice every weekday morning from 9am to 1pm at 1800 60 70 66. The IHF advocates that every death matters and how we are cared for matters in those last months as well as those final days.
