The Government has announced a New Homelessness Strategy

On 21 August 2008 the Minister for State for Housing, Michael Finneran, launched the Government's new homelessness strategy. It is entitled The Way Home: A Strategy to Address Adult Homelessness in Ireland 2008-2013. The strategy envisages a major shift away from emergency beds and towards long-term and mainstream housing. Click here to access the report in pdf format on the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government's website. Click here to see Irish Times account of the strategy.

Child Protection Services seen as Hostile

Child protection services are viewed by many children and parents who have come into contact with them as powerful, unsympathetic and hostile, according to a study published on 31st July 2008. The study which is entitled Service Users Perceptions of Irish Child Protection System was carried out by Dr Helen Buckley, a senior lecturer at Trinity College Dublin's School of Social Work, and is based on almost 70 users experience. Click here to see the Irish Times account