The Dublin Simon Community is opening a new counselling service in Dublin today.

It is part of their ‘Sure Steps’ programme, and will be launched by the Minister for Mental Health, Helen McEntee.

Simon’s Sam McGuinness says it is in response to an increasing demand for counselling support.

Mr McGuinness said: “Preventing people from losing their homes is a critical issue by providing the counselling.

“And at the same time people who are resident in services who want to move on and need that help to actually get self-belief back and be secure in themselves and give them hope.

“That’s very important.”

Mr McGuinness says homelessness leaves people isolated and alone and those feelings increase during difficult times.

He said: “We’re providing a one-to-one counselling service, a drop-in clinic, on-demand intervention and emotional wellbeing set-up.

“And we’re providing a centre in Dublin 8 in order to increase the amount of services we’re giving to people who have left our services or who maybe actually are even at risk of homelessness or maybe at the same time are in some of our aftercare services spread around the city.”