Sr Stanislaus Kennedy founded Focus Ireland following her research into the needs of women experiencing homelessness in Dublin in the 1980s.

Through her research, Sr Stan realised the importance of involving people who are homeless, or have been directly affected by homelessness, in the development of homelessness services.

In 1985, two years after the initial research Focus Point (now Focus Ireland) opened its doors on Eustace Street in Dublin’s Temple Bar. The organisation provided advice, information, advocacy and help with finding a home – as well as a warm welcoming place to meet and have a low-cost meal.

Since its foundation, Focus Ireland’s services have continued to grow and our research and advocacy work ensures that the rights of people who are homeless remain on the political agenda. In addition to our Dublin projects, we now have services and housing projects across Ireland including in Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork, Sligo and Limerick.

Our values

Our values inform our actions and help us ensure our attitudes and behaviour reflect the ethos of the organisation.

Our expectation for every employee is that Focus Ireland’s values are reflected in our work, our communications and in our relationships – with each other, and with customers and tenants, volunteers, partners, donors and funders, and the wider public.

Our customers’ needs shape the services we provide. The quality of services delivery is equally as important as the kind of services we provide. These values underpin our behaviour and attitudes in the provision of service to all stakeholders.