Homeless in sub-zero Ennis

WHILE ice builds up on our roads with temperatures recorded between 0ºC and –8ºC over the last week, a homeless man is battling these elements in nothing more than a tent and under a duvet that is frozen solid.

This is the life of Josef Pavelka, a Czech national who came to Ireland to work a number of years ago. Josef and his friend Piotr Baran, a Polish national who has lived in Ireland for four years now, also came here to work and up until recently, he too was sharing this tent in sub-zero conditions.
While Piotr has secured accommodation for the time being, his friend has been left to the elements. He has no money and no entitlements, despite having worked here. He has no food has only a tent and a duvet to keep him warm during these freezing temperatures.
Unfortunately for Josef, alcohol has caused many problems for him, but that is not a reason to write him off claims local woman Josephine O’Brien, of the HELP homeless organisation.
Josephine befriended Josef and Piotr and heard the story of how they came here and how ended up losing out on social welfare because of language difficulties.
“They have no chance of getting anything. Saint Vincent de Paul can only give them vouchers for a B&B but the B&Bs won’t take him. Piotr has been here for four years and both of them did work in this country. They can’t get social welfare unless they have an address and are in the system. Josef is in the system but because of the language barrier, we don’t know if he is entitled to something and because he has no address, he can’t get anything. They are human beings and they shouldn’t be homeless, especially in this cold. The simple fact is he will die if he doesn’t get indoors. He’s essentially being left there to die,” she said.
“Josef has stayed in a tent since Sunday night. We went down to him today and the tent was frozen, even the clothes in the tent were frozen. He has had no food. I spoke to the Red Cross but there’s nothing more they can do. Piotr got a place to stay on Monday but Josef has been living there since Sunday night and before Christmas up until December 23, the two were living there. The Red Cross gave them the tent and sleeping bags but before that, they had been living in bushes and had been out in the elements. They would also be in and out of hospital as Josef is in bad health,” she explained.
Pamela Burke, a resident in Spanish Point, kindly took Josef and Piotr in over Christmas for 12 days and both got on great while they were there.  
“I’m so glad that I did take them in now. Clare FM ran an ad and I heard it as I was driving home before Christmas; it said these two men had nowhere to stay. I happened to have a house in Spanish Point that was vacant during that period so I contacted the Irish Red Cross. I really didn’t know what to expect or what I was getting myself in for but Josef and Piotr stayed there for nearly two weeks. I brought them their meals and they didn’t touch a drop of alcohol. It just broke my heart that they were out there over Christmas and I hate to see it now.
“They were no trouble and are two of the nicest guys you could meet. They were no problem and the house was spotless afterwards. It is purely misfortunate and it’s just so sad to think that they’re out there living in a tent. It’s just crazy and it’s upsetting that there’s nowhere to look after them,” Ms Burke said.
Shirley Benson of the Irish Red Cross in Clare told The Clare Champion, they had tried to help Josef and Piotr.
“We gave the two of them a tent and duvets which we lined with foil hypothermia blankets. People think they’re alcoholics, that they’re a nuisance, that they’re dangerous and there’s a not-in-my-back-yard attitude out there. They’re petty criminals but people must realise that this is thieving out of necessity.
“They have no money, they have no food and unfortunately, they have issues with alcohol. Now that Piotr has a place, he has been off the drink and is doing very well, but Josef is in need of long-term residential care and that costs. It would cost €3,000 to get on a programme in Ennis at Bushy Park.
“The fact that they are foreign nationals has not helped their situation and there is only so many entitlements that they could get because of that. The issue is that there is no emergency fund for the homeless, nothing available for people like Josef and Piotr who have fallen through the cracks. If you can’t get the dole and you have no relatives no money, no friends to help you, how do you get out of that situation? You don’t, you die,” Shirley said.
She explained that in order to get social welfare entitlements, Piotr and Josef need to have spent 36 weeks in continuous employment within a 52-week period and they also need to have a fixed abode.
“Piotr is a qualified printer and he came here legitimately to work, as did Josef. Our main problem with trying to help Josef is the language barrier. He has very little English so it is extremely difficult to find out information about where he worked and about his situation,” she said.
Shirley also advises those who see someone who’s homeless and would like to help, not to give them alcohol.
“People are under the misapprehension that alcohol will actually help warm someone who’s homeless but in fact, it just dehydrates a person and if people want to help do not give them alcohol or money, food or a hot drink is what they need,” she said.
The Red Cross and HELP are anxious to speak with anyone who would be able to help as a translator, which would aid in gathering information that might lead to some little bit of assistance for Josef. They would also like to hear from anyone who would be willing to help put a roof over Josef’s head.
Shirley can be contacted with the Irish Red Cross on 087 9158513 or Josephine of HELP can be reached on 065 6891596.