The Causeway Group CEO, Sean Johnston, has hit back at claims by Waterford Councillor Jason Murphy that the Sands Hotel in Tramore is unfit for purpose as a location for emergency accommodation for homeless women and children.
These comments emerged as part of a more general discussion of children living in emergency accommodation in Waterford.
Sinn Féin Councillor Catherine Burke raised the issue initially, highlighting that children are being harmed by the lifestyle enforced by emergency accommodation, such as children having nowhere to invite friends over after school and being forced to do homework on hotel beds etc.
This led to a broader discussion of the facilities, during which Fianna Fáil Councillor Jason Murphy, said: “Young families, young women are provided their homeless services in the Sands Hotel in Tramore, which is totally unfit for purpose. I think every Councillor in this room has either been in that hotel or seen images of that hotel. The conditions that they live in are disgraceful”.
REJECTED
The claims have been firmly rejected by Causeway Group CEO, Sean Johnston, who sent a letter to Waterford Council expressing his disappointment and claiming that no Councillor had been inside the Sands hotel since it began providing emergency accommodation.
In his letter, Mr. Johnston states: “Since September 2024, The Sands Hotel has been used by Waterford City and County Council Homeless Unit to deliver emergency accommodation for Homeless Families across the City and County.
“We provide these families with a wide range of facilities here all ow which comply with regulatory standards ad national directives under homeless accommodation.
“The comments made publicly on paper and on air are completely without foundation and bear no resemblance to the reality of this facility.
“At the time these comments were made none of the Councillors had been inside the Sands Hotel whilst providing emergency accommodation to Homeless Families in Waterford,” Mr. Johnston said.
“Besides being factually incorrect, we believe these comments do a grave disservice to all the work done by our team in the Homeless Services Unit who support these vulnerable families.
“The council sets and enforces the highest standard required to operate this facility. Your team conducts regular inspections, meetings and residents on-site, and hold us operators to rigorous compliance across every aspect of service delivery.
“To publicly describe this facility as wholly unfit for purpose diminishes the council’s own oversight and the work the homeless department does every day to ensure vulnerable people are accommodated to a high standard.
“It is very disappointing for the service to be presented in such an inaccurate and negative light especially when this does not actually reflect the reality,” added Mr. Johnston.
AARON KENT Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
