Emmet Kirwan is Focus Ireland’s “No Child Without a Home” campaign ambassador
‘No Child Without a Home’ launched by focus ireland with Emmet kirwan
An urgent Christmas Appeal has been launched by Focus Ireland for donations with acclaimed Irish actor Emmet Kirwan as the charity’s ‘No Child Without a Home’ campaign ambassador, reports Aine McEnroe.
5,270 children are now homeless across Ireland according to the charity, which is the highest number ever recorded. With many children facing their second or third Christmas in emergency accommodation.
Focus Ireland is urging the public to support its Christmas Appeal and to sign its petition calling on the Government to act on its Five-Point Plan to end child homelessness for good.
Tallaght actor and playwright Emmet Kirwan said it is “a collective failure of policy and the political system” that thousands of children across Ireland will spend Christmas without a place to call home.
“No child should spend even one Christmas without a safe place to call home, let alone their second or third. Child homelessness is entirely preventable.”
“It is shameful that successive Governments have allowed this crisis to deepen. Homelessness was something that was entirely preventable and it’s essentially due to political failure.”
The actor and writer has also filmed a performance of his poem ‘A Soft Place to Play’ from his play ‘Accents’, to support the Focus Ireland campaign.
Commenting on the Christmas Appeal, the CEO of Focus Ireland, Pat Dennigan said, “We are delighted to welcome Emmet Kirwan as an ambassador at a critical time of year. His voice and his values align deeply with the mission of Focus Ireland.”
Focus Ireland’s ‘No Child Without A Home’ campaign highlights the impact and long-term harm of homelessness on children, from lost education to emotional trauma and developmental impacts.
The charity’s five-point action plan asks the Government to stop no fault evictions, stop families being evicted because of unaffordable rent, to build enough of the right homes in the right places, prioritise long term homeless families for social housing and protect children by putting their needs and interests first.
The charity aims to raise vital funds for homelessness services through its Christmas Appeal and donations will go directly towards supporting families facing homelessness.
Concluding, Pat Dennigan said, “This Christmas, you can make a difference. Join us and help end child homelessness for good.”
To donate or to find out more about Focus Ireland’s Christmas Appeal and No Child Without a Home campaign visit Focus Ireland.
