Focus Ireland
Focus Ireland was founded in 1986 by our President, Sister Stan, for women who needed shelter and support services. Originally called Focus Point, the building comprised of two services; a subsidised, hot-meal service, and an Advice and Information Service.
Focus Ireland works with people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes across Ireland. We are driven by the fundamental belief that homelessness is wrong. Wrong because it is a failure of society that creates victims out of ordinary people and robs them of their potential and wrong because it can be prevented and solved; allowing it to continue undermines society. We need to challenge our society to think and act differently. We are committed to challenging everything about homelessness: the causes, systemic failures, people’s perceptions, and how it is tackled.
Learn more about Focus Ireland.
Focus Ireland Services
This service provides healthy, balanced, and nutritious affordable meals for people experiencing homelessness. Operating 365 days a year, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this service ensures our customers who don’t have access to hot meals, can be catered for in a safe, secure, and welcoming environment.
Aftercare involves continuing to provide support, planning, advice, and guidance to each young person who leaves the care system at 18 years of age. We provide dedicated residential aftercare services, support and settlement services, and long-term housing in Dublin, Limerick, and Sligo.
The Caretakers Project provides a service for young people under the age of 18 who are experiencing homelessness as a result of being unable to access Alternative Care Arrangements. Our primary aim through this service is to help young people regain stability during this crisis period, move out of homelessness as quickly as possible, and avoid the risk of long-term homelessness.
The Extension Service is a service for young people (aged 18-26) experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. As a youth service, we aim to create a welcoming youth-appropriate space where young people can access individual support, engage in programmes focused on their holistic wellbeing, and have fun through youth-work activities.
Focus Ireland has been operating a mediation service in Dublin on behalf of Tusla since 2017. It is a homeless prevention service aimed at young people under 18, whose relationships with their carers are in danger of breaking down. The service also works with young people who are already in care placements but where these placements are at risk due to relationship problems.
