Warning that more Dublin homeless set to die in cold

A HOMELESS c har i t y has warned there will be further deaths of rough sleepers in Dublin over Christmas if the Government does not intervene.

Chief executive of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn criticised the Government’s response to the homeless crisis, saying Housing Minister Darragh O’brien needed to take responsibility for people dying on his watch.

The bodies of two men, both aged in their 40s, were found on the streets in Dublin city centre in November.

They were found within hours of one another.

One was discovered in a tent on Leinster Lane off Nassau Street, while the other man was found dead at a house on Longford Street off Aungier Street.

He was living in long-term sheltered accommodation.

Mr Flynn said: “These deaths were preventable.

“We have reached out to the minister.

“We’re in constant contact with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive through the Lord Mayor’s forum that was set up a number of months ago to address the issue of homelessness in Dublin.

“We’re spending a hell of a lot of money, and we’re not getting the results that we need in terms of outcomes and exits within homeless services, and we can pat each other on the back as much as we want to about how much has been done, but there’s still an awful lot to be done.

“The buck stops with the minister and the minister has to accept responsibility that there have been deaths on his watch.

“There are going to be more deaths.

“There are going to be more deaths over the coming weeks, and coming into Christmas as well.

“Unless we actually see a reaction this week from the minister in terms of that, and the Lord Mayor’s taskforce and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, unfortunately more people will die coming up to Christmas.”

He said up to 60% of the rough sleepers on the streets of the city did not have access to bed provision at present because of Covid-19 regulations, as they were not from the area.

“We need to take responsibility in terms of those deaths, and I think that we can be doing a hell of a lot more,” he said.

“We need to be more responsive in how we roll out our services, and that’s right across the board.”

The Dublin city councillor warned that deaths of homeless people on the streets had become normalised and it was not acceptable.