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A 15-year-old girl has invented life-saving sleeping bags for the homeless that are waterproof, easy to see and practical.

Budding scientist Emily Duffy came up with the idea after fundraising for the homeless.

She spent a day living rough on the streets to raise cash for homeless shelters in her hometown of Limerick, Dublin.

The ingenious sleeping bags are lined with a thick layer of fireproof bubble wrap that not only protects from flames but also keeps the user dry.

Reflective markings give the bags high visibility, crucial for sleepers in car parks and doorways.

And velcro straps mean that the user can get in and out of the bag easily.

The teenager was praised for her invention, reported The Journal , with some saying it could 'save lives on the streets of Dublin'.

And now, they are being made by former rough sleepers to encourage them back into work and help out those still living on the streets.

Nicknamed 'Duffily Bags', they are being produced and given out at an emergency accommodation centre in the middle of the city.

The workers are former street drinkers who have gone through Dublin's detox programme and are paid more than minimum wage ($10 an hour) to make the sleeping bags.

Read more:Homeless woman returned to Romania after living under duvet at bus stop for THREE months

Many of them are Eastern European men who have come to England only to be left out on the streets, with just alcohol to turn to.

Now, they are being given the chance to become part of society by working and being paid a wage.

Julian Judge from the Mendicity Institute in Dublin 8, the charity behind the project, said it was also about rebuilding the confidence of the former homeless.

He said: "The idea is you get some pride in yourself… It’s the pride in creating something."

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