115 homeless people died in Dublin last year according to documents released to Aontú

According to statistics released by Dublin City Council, on behalf of the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive to the political party Aontú, 115 people died while homeless in Dublin last year.

This is a dramatic increase on figures for previous years.

Responding to the statistics released to him, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD said:

“Reading these figures makes me extremely angry. Aontú first raised the issue of the homeless death rate spiralling on the floor of the Dáil in November 2020, and I called on the government to investigate the situation.

“The reason I did so was because we were expecting cold weather and I was concerned that the death rate would spike in November and December.

“The Minister said he would investigate it. As predicted the death rate did spike.

“33 homeless people died in Dublin between the months of November 2020 and January 2021.

“The Department of Housing didn’t actually conduct an investigation, they tasked the Department of Health with doing it.

“That investigation is still ongoing. During the length of time this review has been going on 133 homeless people in Dublin have died.

“This is absolutely shameful. Aontú raised this issue, in the context of cold weather, nothing changed, a review was launched, and the review is still going on sixteen months later, and homeless people are dying now at a rate we’ve never seen before.

“Dublin City Council are recording fewer details regarding these deaths since the review was launched, than they were prior to the review.

“This reeks of a cover-up, it seems that the Department and the Council do not want the gravity of the situation in the public domain.

“If it wasn’t for Aontú’s application for records under the Freedom of Information Act these details would never be in the public domain.

“I don’t get angry often, but I am angry today.

“Had action been taken when I first raised the issue, then I have no doubt lives could have been saved”.

“287 homeless people in Dublin have died since 2018.

“Life is harsh, the establishment is harsh, and society at times can be harsh.

“These people could easily have been our brothers or sisters, our sons or daughters, our parents.

“We need to do better by vulnerable people in this country, and Aontú are calling on the government to provide an immediate and urgent update on the ongoing review”, concluded Deputy Tóibín.