Sir, – I want to express my outrage that in a modern relatively affluent city a human being can be found dead in a waste disposal truck (Home News, August 23rd). It is also an indictment on our homeless services funding, as our political masters still languish on their extended holidays. Shame on them all.
I was employed a couple of years ago as a security operative in an inner city men’s homeless shelter. In this capacity, I met the Polish man Henryk Piotrowski, who was found dead in the refuse truck. I want to extend my condolences to his family. He was a gentleman and bore the suffering of his difficult circumstances with a quiet dignity so typical of other unfortunate immigrant men I encountered at this shelter. He, like they, came here to work, primarily in the construction sector. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn, they were thrown to the wolves.
Sadly, I have read in newspapers the names of men (some of them Irish) I encountered at that homeless shelter who perished due to the recession.
The real tragedy in all this is that a relatively small sum of money, a couple of million, could solve this homeless problem. In this small matter I sincerely wish it could be Labour’s way not Frankfurt’s and that this party in Government could finally find its conscience and eliminate this problem once and for all.
It would provide some semblance of meaning to the life and unnecessary death of Henryk Piotrowski. The searing tragedy of a man who left his homeland to seek a better life being found dead in a reeking refuse truck, should awaken something in all our hearts.
Finally, I am interested in raising money to have Henryk Piotrowski’s body flown home or facilitate his family coming here. If anyone is interested I can be contacted at the address below. Thank you. – Yours, etc,
DANIEL LOWRY,
(santlowry@yahoo.co.uk),
5 Valley View,
Swords,
Co Dublin.