Homeless charity warns of 'creeping privatisation'

The director of the homeless charity Trust has warned against a "creeping privatisation" of health and accommodation services for the disadvantaged.

Accepting an award at the weekend for Tipperary Person of the Year, Ms Alice Leahy said there was a growing trend towards accommodating homeless people in B&Bs and privately-run hostels rather than voluntary shelters, and this "raised questions" about the quality of care being provided.

She said a recent fatality in a commercially-run hostel in London, where the body of an Irishman lay undiscovered for more than 24 hours, "is a warning of the kind of dangers we risk as a society if we allow the provision of critical social and health services to be decided by market forces."