Dáil Sketch: Jonathan Corrie’s death hovers over homelessness debate

The memory of Jonathan Corrie hovers over the Dáil every time the plight of the homeless is mentioned.

Corrie's death, in a doorway opposite Leinster House before Christmas, prompted a rapid Government response to the social scandal.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald referred to his tragic end yesterday, when she said the homeless crisis continued to spiral out of control.

“Every day families with children and single people continue to present as homeless,’’ she said. “Rising rents, increased repossessions and the lack of social housing are forcing scores of adults and hundreds of children out of their homes.’’

McDonald claimed that, following Corrie’s death, the Government press office had gone into overdrive in announcing measures it stated would stem the crisis.

As she painted a grim picture of a facet of Irish life, there was little of the traditional heckling from Government backbenchers.

A walk around the streets near Leinster House, in the early morning or at night, provides visual evidence of the scale of the problem. The homeless sleep in doorways in sleeping bags or in makeshift beds of cardboard and paper.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke saw it at first-hand in their late-night city tour last December.

No spare capacity

McDonald said yesterday that despite the provision of an additional 300 emergency beds in Dublin, there was still no spare capacity. Some 1,692 adults were sleeping in emergency accommodation in the city on New Year’s Eve, the highest number in years, she said.

She said as many as 80 families, with hundreds of children, were waiting to be placed in accommodation, some for months.

“In some cases, they have been forced to squat in homes when their notice to quit expired. They are being forced to sleep in cars or split up for days, weeks or months, with children being separated from their parents.’’

Some families were in hostels or hotel rooms, in an environment totally unsuitable for children, she said.

Increase in demand

There were sombre expressions on Government and Opposition benches.

Tánaiste Joan Burton said while all the beds had not been taken up before Christmas, there had been a significant increase in demand in the new year. Under the Government’s action plan, an additional 271 beds were put in place, she said.

"There were no beds available from Friday to Tuesday,'' responded Independent TD Joan Collins.

Burton said additional beds would be brought on stream should the need arise.

She paid tribute to all of the voluntary and advocacy organisations working with the local authorities and the Department of the Environment. And she said the Government was determined to provide additional capacity, if it was required.

“It is required,’’ said Collins.

McDonald said the issue was about houses, permanent accommodation allowing people the certainty and dignity of having a roof over their heads.

She spoke of couples sleeping with three children in the box room of a parent’s house.

Burton said that Alan Kelly, the Minister for the Environment, was examining the possible introduction of "rent certainty'', which was detailed work.

Meanwhile, not far from the Dáil chamber, the night lights, flowers and notes, a shrine created by the public to Jonathan Corrie’s memory in the doorway where he died, have been cleared away.