Mercy Law Resource Centre….
A free legal service geared towards homelessness
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone? Bob Dylan
Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) was set up in Cork St, Dublin in 2009 by the Sisters of Mercy, South Central Province. It is an independent law centre, registered charity and company limited by guarantee, which provides free legal advice, representation and befriending services to local authority tenants and people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the areas of social housing and social welfare law. This includes people who are trying to move away from homelessness or are struggling with issues often linked to homelessness e.g. addiction, leaving prison, mental illness and relationship breakdown. The Centre also seeks to advocate change in laws, policies and attitudes which unduly and adversely impact its client group.
Sabrina Comerford, Acting Lead Solicitor
Helena O’Donoghue, Chairperson BOM
In Ireland “Poor Law” (e.g. housing and social welfare law) is not adequately catered for by either the private sector or the State legal aid system. The legal assistance which is available is frequently limited to advice only and is often fragmented, ignoring the cluster of problems which our client group often experience i.e. other legal and non-legal problems. A further issue is that of accessibility; homeless persons are on the extreme margins of society and have additional hurdles in accessing legal services, rights and entitlements.
The Centre provides a unique service that is accessible and, as far as possible, shaped to meet the individual needs of each client. Where feasible, we meet clients in their own environment e.g. by providing advice clinics in homeless hostels. We work with other organisations in the statutory and voluntary sectors e.g. Crosscare, De Paul, Focus Ireland and Dublin Simon to ensure clients have the appropriate supports they need. We also have a team of volunteer befrienders who accompany clients through the often daunting process of accessing the legal system.
MLRC’s ethos recognises the dignity of each person. We seek to ensure that all people are treated with respect and compassion and are enabled to achieve their full potential as human beings. We are committed to the principles of human rights, social justice and equality.
Caitriona O’Hara, Volunteer Administrator
Shauna Curran, Part time Administrator
Mercy Law Resource Centre offers five key services:
Free legal advice clinics
Our clinics are staffed by qualified solicitors and deal with all legal issues raised, predominantly housing law, family law and social welfare law. We meet clients in hostels and other centres for homeless people, i.e.:
Haven House (Crosscare), every 2nd Tuesday;
Backlane Hostel (De Paul) every Tuesday;
Focus Ireland Coffee Shop, every Wednesday;
Harcourt Street (Dublin Simon), every 2nd Tuesday;
Liberties Citizen’s Information Centre, every Wednesday.
Legal representation in the areas of housing and social welfare law
In 2010, the Centre provided advice and or court/tribunal representation to approximately 270 clients. As the Centre grows and becomes more established, the demand for the service it provides has increased. In 2011, we provided advice and or court/tribunal representation to approximately 541 clients. In 2012 we provided advice and or court/tribunal representation to approximately 603 clients, an increase of 11.5% s11. This resulted in clients realising rights and entitlements that would otherwise have been denied. 2013 is showing a sharp increase in queries to our centre.
Bernie Walshe, Volunteer Solicitor
Ger Hynes, Volunteer Solicitor
Legal support and training to organisations working in the field of homelessness.
This can include legal input and support on policy issues, advice on individual cases and staff training. In 2012 we commenced training for organisations that provide referrals to our service so as to equip them with skills to advocate on their client’s behalf and identify appropriate cases for referral. Training workshops were organised for the following organisations in 2012:
Dundalk Simon
Dublin Simon
Finglas Citizens Information Centre
Focus Ireland
Meath Citizens Information Centre
Ruhama
Apart from clinics, during 2012 queries came from 36 organisations including:
Amnesty International
Focus Ireland
Law Gazette
Merchant’s Quay Mercy Family Centre
Saoirse Women’s Refuge
Tallaght Women’s Refuge
Women’s Therapy Centre
Policy Work
Casework and policy work go hand in hand and the success of each depends on the other. The advice clinics and casework highlight the issues that our client group faces. This informs the test cases we take and policy issues we tackle. MLRC advocates change in laws, policies and attitudes which unduly and adversely impact on the Centre’s client group. MLRC is a member of a housing group which meets on a monthly basis to consider matters of policy e.g. liaising with Local Authorities in respect of their housing policies. MLRC has also set up focus groups with organisations working in the field of homelessness. This is invaluable not only in terms of learning what the issues are “on the ground” but also in terms of providing advice, information and education to such organisations on the issues which they come across.
Nuala Monaghan, Part time legal secretary
Befriending
The Centre recognises that the legal system can be alienating and difficult and frustrating to negotiate. MLRC aims to provide our clients with a service that is friendly and easy to access. Volunteers are available to befriend clients in order to accompany them and provide them with emotional and practical support as they go through the difficult process of trying to access their rights. The role may entail such activities as helping the individual to fill in forms, accompanying her/him to court, helping her/him to turn up to appointments etc. Training is provided to all volunteers who also have the support of regular group meetings where peer support is provided. MLRC currently has 13 Befrienders who work with vulnerable clients throughout the year.
MLRC has a number of paid and voluntary staff:
• Solicitor-in-Charge: Maeve Regan, who will be starting work with us in August 2013.
• Solicitor: Sabrina Comerford.
• Part-time voluntary solicitors: Ger Hynes and Bernie Walsh.
• Part-time volunteer administrator: Caitriona O’Hara rsm
• Part-time legal secretary: Nuala Monaghan.
• Part-time administrator: Shauna Curran.
We also have a number of pro bono barristers who support us. Mason Hayes and Curran and the Law Department, Trinity College Dublin provide us with interns.
MLRC is totally dependent on fundraising and does not receive any public grants or state monies. The majority of our costs are covered by funding from the Sisters of Mercy and the remainder is made up of various donations from corporate and individuals. In 2012 we set up a ‘Friends of MLRC’, which offers four levels to assist in funding our centre. We are forever grateful to all those who contribute in terms of money or their time and expertise to the workings of Mercy Law Resource Centre. Although due to the recession the demand for our service is growing and putting greater stresses on our service, we must continue to grow our fundraising activities in order to match this need. MLRC has recently signed up to the Guiding Principles of Fundraising and are on course to sign up to the new Code of Governance later this year. We are also part of the One Percent Difference campaign.
Please visit our website www.mercylaw.ie where you can read more about our work, donate or sign up to our quarterly e-zine.
Caitriona O’Hara rsm
South Central Province
