‘Mental illness arising out of housing situation’ in west Donegal

The issue of the lack of designated accommodation was raised at the May meeting of the Glenties Municipal District by Independent Cllr Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig

Published 9th May 2026, 13:00 BST The issue of the lack of designated accommodation was raised at the May meeting of the Glenties Municipal District by Independent Cllr Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig Sign up to our Donegal Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Donegal Live within your account.

People who find themselves homeless in west Donegal have “nowhere to go” and must seek shelter on the other side of the county.

Letterkenny and Bundoran are the only two towns to receive designated homeless accommodation countywide, with a local representative outlining the impact on people's mental health. The issue of the lack of designated accommodation was raised at the May meeting of the Glenties Municipal District by Independent Cllr Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig.

“The government's neoliberal policy has created a situation where people are homeless,” he said. “I spoke to a woman over the weekend who is not comfortable with homeless shelters because of men. There is another case of an individual who had to be moved to the other side of the county.“We need to move quickly and develop more houses. We also need a support base for homeless accommodation. Without local support, it is a lot more challenging.”

Seconding Cllr Mac Giolla Easbuig’s request, 100% Redress Cllr Denis McGee added: “There is a lot of mental illness arising out of this housing situation. When you are dealing with someone who has nowhere to go, it is very sad to see. We are in a situation where we have to send them to the other side of the county as we don’t have the support.”

Michael Rowsome, Area Manager Corporate and Housing, responded that in the Glenties Municipal District , “several people” require sheltered accommodation. For this accommodation to be built, an Approved Housing Body needs to submit the application. The CEO of an Approved Housing Body is willing to come on board in Gaoth Dobhair. Mr Rowsome further stated that more “facilities are needed and local solutions have been found in the interim to deal with individual cases.”

Related topics: Homelessness Donegal Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig Dungloe Denis McGee Sign up to our Donegal Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Donegal Live within your account.