Press Release
New film shines a light on how homelessness and addiction combine to devastating effect
Filmmakers go behind the scenes at Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), Ireland’s largest drop-in homeless centre
Merchants Quay Ireland, the homeless and addiction charity, has today launched a new behind-the-scenes short film to show the human reality of Ireland’s homeless and addiction crisis.
MQI works with people who are homeless, in addiction, or suffering from mental health difficulties. These are often complex cases where people are at serious risk of being left behind. With at least 10,000 people homeless and an ongoing drugs epidemic, the film depicts a front-line organisation responding to some of Ireland’s most urgent social problems.
The film meets clients and staff of the service, including:
- Noel and John, MQI clients, speaking about homelessness, the help they get at MQI, and their hopes for the future
- Young Person Support Worker Lynda Murtagh, working to get people off the streets and into stable accommodation
- Derek Parker, Project Co-Ordinator of the Medically Supervised Injecting Facility, speaking about why the injecting facility will form a vital part of the response to drug addiction
Merchants Quay Ireland CEO Paula Byrne said:
“At Merchants Quay, we see homelessness and addiction combine with devastating effects. People can be pushed to the margins of society and end up dying on our streets.
“The people who turn to Merchants Quay for help speak of feeling invisible and voiceless, of feeling that society has given up on them. Our hope for this film is to make their voices heard, so we can deepen understanding of what it means to be in addiction and homeless in Dublin today.”
-ENDS-
For more information or to arrange an interview with an MQI spokesperson, please contact:
Andrew Rooney
Communications Officer
Merchants Quay Ireland
T: 01 531 2958
M: 086 7793 208
Email: andrew.rooney@mqi.ie
Website: www.mqi.ie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MerchantsQuayIR
Twitter: @MerchantsQuayIR
Notes to editors:
The full film is available to view here: https://youtu.be/8SkkmxdtLyE
The short film is the work of director Conor Ferguson (‘The Wednesdays’) and producer Jonny Speers (‘Adam and Paul’). Filming was done in MQI’s Riverbank building over a three-day period in October 2018.
About Merchants Quay Ireland
Merchants Quay Ireland is a leading Irish charity working with people who are homeless and in addiction. The organisation provides services ranging from open access crisis intervention and health promotion services to day-support programmes, educational programmes, vocational training, residential treatment, detox and prison counselling. www.mqi.ie
