REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF CEDAR HOUSE NIGHT SHELTER FOR HOMELESS MEN
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF CEDAR HOUSE NIGHT SHELTER FOR HOMELESS MEN, MARLBOROUGH PLACE, DUBLIN
I have great pleasure in being here today to officially open the Cedar House night shelters for homeless men. I would like to particularly thank Major John Partridge from the Salvation Army for his kind invitation and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Senator Joe Doyle, for his words of welcome.
We in Ireland have a proud tradition of voluntary activity. It is a tradition that springs from a past when we had little, a past that despite the current prosperity this country is experiencing, is not so distant. A tradition grounded in the necessity of neighbour helping neighbour, in order for both to survive.
The Salvation Army has a long and proud history in Ireland, spanning more than a hundred years, of upholding this tradition and extending a Christian hand of help and kindness to the disadvantaged and the marginalised, particularly the homeless. That tradition is all the more important and valuable in today’s society. For while our newfound prosperity means that poverty is now less widespread than in past generations, it is also easier for people to cocoon themselves against the despair and hopelessness that still exists, to close their eyes to it and to forget the spirit of generosity that is our hallmark as a people. We are not yet at that point, thank God, but we must recognise and fight against that possibility. We cannot count ourselves a success unless all of our people have the means to live a life of hope and decency.
The Salvation Army is a shining example of that hope, that generosity, that spirit of Christian love and solidarity. The great secret of your success has been your refusal to accept an attitude of helplessness or complacency. Your determination to change things for the better is underpinned by the gospel message of love, of hope, of charity, of recognising the image of God in all His children – the poor, the homeless, those who abuse drugs or alcohol, those for whom life has brought hardship and sorrow.
Your work in these shelters for homeless men here at Cedar House, is an outstanding example of how you have translated your mission into practical care and assistance for those in greatest need. These shelters, along with your facilities in the Granby Centre, York House and Lefroy House, offer hope and support for the homeless – families, young people and men, including those with disabilities. You have recognised, too, the importance of assisting people to move out of the cycle of homelessness, in co-operation with Dublin Corporation and voluntary bodies which offer resettlement services. That beacon of hope is important in demonstrating that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that no matter how grave the problems that people face, a better future is possible.
For all of that work, that caring, that selflessness, that giving of yourselves and your time with such generosity, we owe you our deepest thanks. You should be very proud of all you have achieved.
I know that much of your work would not have been possible without the support and funding of Dublin Corporation and the Department of the Environment and Local Government. I would like to pay tribute to both of these bodies, and especially to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Senator Joe Doyle, for the progressive and imaginative approaches you have taken in supporting these ventures, and those of many other voluntary bodies which assist the homeless and disadvantaged.
This type of partnership between the statutory and voluntary sectors has proven to be extremely successful. In particular, the Homeless Initiative, which was established to improve the co-ordination of services provision for homeless people in the Dublin area, demonstrates the truth of the Irish saying ‘Ní neart go chur le chéile’ – there is strength in unity. Cedar House, which is the result of co-operation between so many people, is a fine example of this.
Let me finish by paying special tribute to the people at the coalface of Cedar House’s work: Major John Partridge, who is the head of the Salvation Army’s services in Dublin. and Pat Archer and Raymond Gallagher who are in charge of the Cedar House shelters. I warmly commend you and all of your colleagues on your ongoing endeavours and I wish you every success in all your future work.