Latest news with #RayO'Donoghue
Dublin Live
3 days ago
- General
- Dublin Live
Night-time welfare zone to be launched in Dublin city centre
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A permanent welfare zone designed to help people on nights out in Dublin city is expected to launch in the coming weeks. The scheme was piloted over the Christmas period to help those who required assistance while out socialising in the city. The new "Help Zone" hub is expected to launch at the end of next month. A mobile help vehicle will be stationed around various busy locations in the city centre, offering medical care, welfare services, and general support to those in need during high-risk hours. The service operates with a dedicated team including medics, security officers, welfare officers, and a site operator. Speaking on Newstalk, Dublin's night-time economy advisor, Ray O'Donoghue, said: "Hopefully that will be up and running again in the next couple of weeks." "It should hopefully deter anti-social behaviour and just give people somewhere to go as opposed to A&E or the Garda station and so on," he added. The initiative was piloted by Dublin City Council and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘Help Zone' welfare van to be stationed on Dublin's Camden Street at weekends
The 'Help Zone' is a pilot initiative funded by the Department of Justice and supported by Dublin City Council, the Department of Culture and Arts, An Garda Síochána, the Dublin Fire Brigade and the HSE. It is expected to launch in late June for a six to eight-week trial, and will operate from approximately 10pm to 3am every Friday and Saturday night. The Help Zone will offer on-the-ground support to people socialising in one of the capital's busiest nightlife areas. While it's based in a van, the Help Zone will remain parked at a fixed location on Camden Street, acting as a visible, accessible safe space for anyone in distress or in need of help. Staffed by a trained medic, two security officers, a welfare officer and a site operator, the zone aims to prevent incidents from escalating and ease pressure on emergency services by providing immediate care and support. The van will be clearly marked with branding from Dublin City Council, the Department of Justice and and will be fitted with seating, supplies and power. The scheme was developed following concerns from residents, businesses and emergency responders about anti-social behaviour, late-night disturbances and vulnerable individuals left without support during nights out. It's inspired by similar initiatives in the UK and Europe, which have helped reduce ambulance callouts, hospital visits and public disorder. The Help Zone follows on from a previous pilot welfare area set up during the busy Christmas period last December, when a static 'safe space' operated at Foster Place near College Green. That initiative, which was also supported by Dublin City Council, provided festival-style medical care, with trained medics and security staff on hand to help those who felt unwell, vulnerable, or simply needed to sit down and regroup. While it saw limited use during its short December run, the response from emergency services and nightlife advocates was positive. Ray O'Donoghue, Dublin's late-night economy advisor, said at the time that such welfare areas could take pressure off emergency services and provide a useful support layer for the city's night-time economy. 'It can be a place to go if you've had too much to drink or feel vulnerable, and it will take pressure off emergency services and gardaí,' he said. 'The pilot of the Welfare Area is a vital part of our efforts to create a safer, more enjoyable night-time experience in Dublin.'
