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Morning top 5: Homeless families report; First vote in Tory leadership contest; Concern over strength of cannabis

A new report has found that the majority of families that fall into homelessness have stable hous...
Michael Staines
Michael Staines

07.00 13 Jun 2019


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Morning top 5: Homeless famili...

Morning top 5: Homeless families report; First vote in Tory leadership contest; Concern over strength of cannabis

Michael Staines
Michael Staines

07.00 13 Jun 2019


Share this article


A new report has found that the majority of families that fall into homelessness have stable housing histories.

Focus Ireland interviewed 237 homeless families in Dublin and found that nine-out-of-ten had lived in their last stable home for a year.

The report warns that 68% of the families had been living in the private rented centre before they lost their homes.

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Over half of these became homeless because their landlord had taken the house off the market – either by selling the property, moving in themselves or losing it to a bank.

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Talks are due to take place today in a bid to avert strike action at over 30 hospitals and health centres next week.

10,000 health support workers, including porters, chefs, cleaners and health care assistants are planning to down tools next Thursday, June 20th.

They are calling on the Government to honour the outcome of a job evaluation scheme with pay increases.

The Workplace Relations Commission has called SIPTU and the Department of Public Expenditure for discussions at 2:30pm today.

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The first round of voting on who will succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader and UK Prime Minister will get underway today.

At least one candidate from a crowded field is likely to be eliminated after today’s vote.

There are currently 10 people in the running, with the field set to be whittled down to two by a series of votes in the coming weeks.

Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is currently the favourite, followed by Jeremy Hunt, and Andrea Leadsom.

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The National Maternity Hospital has said it is “actively engaged” in establishing an external review into an abortion carried out at Holles Street recently.

It comes after independent TD Peadar Tóibín told the Dáil that the family at the centre of the case believe an “illegal abortion” had been carried out.

He said the couple feel that their calls for an independent investigation have been ignored - and that they have been offered no input in to the terms of reference of an internal review.

In a statement, the National Maternity Hospital said that despite the deputy’s claims, “significant progress” had been made in establishing the review.

It said the terms of reference would be finalised shortly.

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The increasing strength of cannabis is causing a major problem for young people in Ireland.

The Dublin North Regional Drugs Task Force said there has been a “quite stark” increase in the use of the drug since 2011.

It said this led to an increase in presentation for treatment, adding that it is causing the most harm in terms of treatment services for adolescents.

The National Drug Education and Prevention Forum will today hear that there has also been a steady increase in the use of MDMA among young people over the past seven years.


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