Homeless campaign group Home Sweet Home (HSH) is allegedly refusing to give €170,000 of public donations to homeless charities, but will use it as a means to continue its campaign.

Following a plea by Dublin Lord Mayor Brendan Carr to give cash collected during the Apollo House occupation to "proper homeless charities", Rosi Leonard of HSH said the group was "perfectly capable" of getting the best use out of the money.

"The donations of €170,000 are being used to keep people off the streets, to keep people safe and to get homeless people into services. HSH is not going away and all the money we receive is going towards this campaign."

The group's spokesperson added that it was currently paying for hotel accommodation for seven people.

The HSH campaign has encountered fresh controversy, with new claims that a couple staying in Apollo House had a council home in Drogheda and were not actually homeless.

Ms Leonard added that it would be a "real pity" if this allegation was true. "We were working off the trust of people. If someone came to us in need we would do our best to help them.

"We had an intake team who would go through a very brief welcome with the people identifying themselves as homeless and if we couldn't cater for their needs we would steer them in the right direction."

Irish Independent