A young chef from Cork has been sleeping in a borrowed car with his two dogs after he was made homeless.
The 22-year-old is now sleeping in a car on the quays on the River Lee, in the freezing cold along with his two dogs Mike and Cunnigham, despite having a job and a roof over his head up until recently.
Paul Cambridge traded his plumbing tools for kitchen utensils after deciding to become a chef, Cork Beo reports.
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The young man revealed that he had a "beautiful place" where he was paying rent for two years, and a full-time job that gave him a good quality of life.
He revealed that his circumstances changed when he lost his job and had to sleep in a friend's car.
He said: "My world just fell apart. I've been homeless for a year, every day I feel like I'm in a dream and I'll wake up soon - but I'm not."
Paul experiences frequent seizures due to epilepsy, which he finds is exacerbated by the freezing cold.
He admitted to feeling his feet sting due to the cold some nights, but said it was better than sleeping in a tent, which he was until his friend lent him his car for the hard cold nights.
Paul has contacted homeless services, Cork City Council, and emailed councillors and TDs for help.
"I'd get woken up the odd few times to someone hitting the car or roaring into it. It is terrifying. I just want a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, heating and a place that I can shower in and cook food," he said.
Despite having a month's deposit and rent ready to go, Paul is yet to succeed in securing a place to call his own.
"I'm desperate for a room anywhere if anything is going. I just don't want to be living in this car anymore. I got so tired of it and decided to reach out to PJ Coogan's Opinion Line this morning to highlight my situation.
"I want to have a normal life, I've never had anything good in my life. I have a strained family situation, so I can't go back home, my partner broke up with me, I was evicted, and I lost my job - I have received no help," he added.
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