A VIGIL WAS held outside Leinster House at 6pm this evening to remember the 402 homeless people who have died in Dublin since 2018.
Organised by the political party Aontú, the vigil was attended by family members of some of those who have died.
Speaking at the vigil, Father Peter McVerry said: “there is no reason for anyone in Ireland to die in homelessness today.”
He added: “We can all play a role in reducing the stigma that is attached to homelessness.”
The vigil was attended by a number of volunteers from homeless charities including Novas and Tiglin.
Also speaking at the vigil was Sean Flynn whose daughter Cherie died while experiencing homelessness in March 2022.
Flynn said he was disappointed to see the small turn out at the vigil and the lack of government ministers in attendance.
He noted that his daughter Cherie suffered with addiction issues which contributed to her ending up in homelessness.
He said it is vital that the health system changes so that mental health issues and addiction issues are treated in a dual capacity.
Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín said not enough money is going to mental health services in Ireland.
Speaking to The Journal after the vigil, Tóibín said Aontú has been looking at the issue of homelessness for a number of years now and that the number of homeless deaths has been “creeping up year-on-year”.
“It’s very clear what the causes are, the causes are obviously, the lack of homes for people, but also the lack of investment for mental health services, for drug addiction services, and for all the wraparound services that people who are vulnerable need,” Tóibín said.
He added: “We are delighted that Sean Flynn is able to campaign in the way he does given the tragic circumstances of the death of his daughter.”
A number of politicians from other opposition parties were also in attendance at the vigil, with People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett and Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould also addressing attendees.
When asked if he thought there was enough unity amoung the political parties on the issue of homelessness, Tóibín said: “There is an opposition and government split to be honest on this.”
He noted that no government representatives chose to participate in the vigil.
“There’s a spectrum of politics on the opposition side, but I think that all of that should be put aside in relation to actually fixing this crisis for people.
“This is bigger than politics. This is bigger than political parties. This is a national crisis happening on a daily basis throughout our country,” Tóibín said.
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