Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ULSTER’S HOMELESS DEATH SHOCK
205 people die without a roof over their head
MORE than a quarter of the UK’S recent homeless deaths happened in Northern Ireland, the Human Rights Commission says.
Launching its annual statement, chief Les Allamby said 205 died in over an 18-month period.
He cited figures that the Bureau of Investigative Journalism released in October as he lamented the “practical consequences” of the “absence of an Executive and Assembly”.
Mr Allamby said: “Rising poverty and homeless figures give cause for much concern.
“Behind every death is an individual story and a wider tale of society’s failure to properly protect vulnerable people.”
He claimed the Commission’s statement demonstrated that not one human rights concern had been effectively resolved in Northern Ireland. Mr Allamby said: “Whilst we welcome the movement on human rights compliant laws around termination of pregnancy, the introduction of same-sex marriage and redress for victims of historical institutional abuse, so many other issues affecting victim rights, housing and healthcare remain unresolved. The Government has a legal obligation to tackle these outstanding human rights issues, outlined in today’s report, without hesitation.”
The figures in Northern Ireland are kept in a way which more accurately
YESTERDAY
reflects homelessness than in the rest of the UK.
The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Philip Alston addressed an event at Stormont on Tuesday.
He said: “The re-election of the Conservative Party government was based in part on a campaign promising the end of austerity.
“In addition to more nurses and police, this must include the reform of Universal Credit and the restoration of the broader safety net.”
The Commission’s annual statement sets out “red light” issues that require immediate action by the UK Government, the Executive or relevant public authorities.