By Michele Canning Smith

THE plight of Strabane's street drinkers will not be shoved down a side alley, the Chairman of Strabane Council has warned.

Jarlath McNulty was speaking after comments were made on a radio station this week regarding the town's street drinkers and plans to open a drop-in centre.

A scoping document has been completed. The Council together with other agencies have identified a location and have spoken with the street drinkers. They are now putting together a funding package.

If funding can be secured, the centre would be situated in Strabane town centre and would provided facilities including showers, tea and coffee and access to a professional counsellor.

It would not however provide over night accommodation.

The issue was raised on Tuesday following a call to the Shaun Doherty show on Highland Radio on Tuesday when a visitor to Strabane called to express her disgust at seeing two drunks on the street, one of whom was urinating in public.

A number of calls were made to the show. It is the views of some of the callers that Councillor McNulty has expressed dismay at.

"I appreciate the comments made by the Donegal visitor and I totally understand why she was not happy with the sight that confronted her.

"I know for some people it is intimidating but we are addressing the problem and I do believe these people need our help.

social problem

"I do not like to see visitors to Strabane getting annoyed, yes it gives a bad impression but this is a social problem that is occurring in every other town in the North.

"But I disagree with some of the comments made by callers. As both the Chairman and as an individual I am adamant that there will be no-one shoved up back alleys.

"Yes we are taking a prolonged approach to Strabane's problems of street drinkers but it will be a sustainable one that is helpful and long term.

"I know these people and their families and for all of us, it's a case of 'There but for the grace of God, go I.' Alcoholism is a disease.

"I am sure that none of these men set out on the path they have deliberately.

"This is not something they choose. It's a disease."

He said there are currently three 'hardened street drinkers', one of whom who is now sleeping rough on the streets.

Other street drinkers have died and many are drinking in other places.

"Comments that it should be shoved down a back alley do not help. The 'out of sight, out of mind mentality' will not be taken here in Strabane.

"The street drinkers need our help, not our criticism."

The drop in centre is a project that has been developing behind the scenes for some time now and involves a range of bodies, including the Housing Executive, the PSNI and the Derry based project Foyle Haven.

It has broken on-street drinkers down into two groups, chronic on-street drinkers and the Friday and Saturday drinkers.

Whilst there are facilities for street drinkers in neighbouring Omagh and Derry there is none in Strabane.

In Derry the Foyle Haven offers support to around 30 on-street drinkers per day, with another 60 on the fringes.