Tiglin founder backs bishops: homelessness ‘a failure of policy’

Senator Aubrey McCarthy, co-founder of the charity Tiglin, has expressed support for a report by the Bishops’ Commission for Social Issues and International Affairs regarding Ireland's homelessness crisis. McCarthy stated that the crisis results from a failure of government and public policies at all levels.

The bishops' report, presented at their autumn general meeting in Maynooth, described homelessness as a blight on society and called for addressing its root causes. The commission noted that the number of people accessing emergency accommodation rose 111% between the 2021 launch of the Housing for All plan and August 2026, and increased 169% over the last decade.

McCarthy, who has worked with homeless individuals for nearly 20 years, said his experience with Tiglin confirms the bishops' warning that reacting to a crisis is both ineffective and costly. Tiglin operates the Lighthouse Café on Pearse Street in Dublin alongside the Dublin Christian Mission, providing meals, clothing, and medical services to between 200 and 500 people daily.