Homeless man perishes on Dublin street

snubbleste

An unnamed male has died on the streets of Dublin.
Gardaí believe he had been dead for a number of hours and that revellers walked past him on Westmoreland Street in the early hours of Sunday.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/man-found-dead-in-doorway-of-dublin-caf%C3%A9-was-rough-sleeper-1.2387308

The Moldy Gowl

Really dislike the word revellers.
Should passerbys check on all the homeless to make sure they aren't dead

snubbleste

Is that all you can think of at a tragic time like this?

The Moldy Gowl

snubbleste wrote: »

Is that all you can think of at a tragic time like this?

Yes. Your op makes it sounds like the passerbys are guilty.
Is that all you can think about?

Notavirus.exe

I find news stories like this ridiculous. Homeless people only seem to receive attention from the government and/or media when they die.

Homeless people dying shouldn't be something to worry about. People being homeless should be.

KERSPLAT!

Walked down Westmoreland St at about 3am last night, horrible to think this poor man was laying dead on the ground as I and others walked by, poor man.

RIP

Long Time Lurker

Poor positioning. Should have died on Merrion Square.







(Sarcasim intended before the easily offended brigade jump on me. I think most will understand I'm.referring to the cynicism of our political class)

Notavirus.exe

Long Time Lurker wrote: »

Poor positioning. Should have died on Merrion Square.







(Sarcasim intended before the easily offended brigade jump on me. I think most will understand I'm.referring to the cynicism of our political class)

No idea what you're talking about.

kylith

Homeless people are bound to die at some point, like all of us. It's sad that this man died alone on the streets, but passers-by can't be expected to check the pulse of everyone they see passed out on the street.

bnt

I wondered about starting a thread on this, since I saw him this morning not long after the Gardai arrived - covered over by then. According to some reports he was still there, in the open, over two hours later, while the scene was examined. Walked back the same way this evening, and there was no sign he'd ever been there. That's life, I suppose. Or not.

Greentopia

kylith wrote: »

Homeless people are bound to die at some point, like all of us.

Except that they have life expectancies that are on average 30 years less (UK figures) than those of us lucky enough not to have to sleep rough on the streets.

Sh1tbag OToole

This is becoming a bit a regular occurrence now

uck51js9zml2yt

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

This is becoming a bit a regular occurrence now

My guess is it's always been regular, its just newsworthy now.

KilOit

Homeowner died on my road today, very sad, whats the government going to do about this problem of people dying in there own homes? disgraceful

flas

Weird thing about this is I got a taxi up O'Connell street about 4 this morning and there was a homeless protest going on at the GPO,about 100people there all out for the night with banners etc...

Greentopia

KilOit wrote: »

Homeowner died on my road today, very sad, whats the government going to do about this problem of people dying in there own homes? disgraceful

That's all you have to say?
Very respectful humane comment. Hope you or yours never end up homeless on the streets.

Smidge

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Walked down Westmoreland St at about 3am last night, horrible to think this poor man was laying dead on the ground as I and others walked by, poor man.

RIP

I have to say, I hadn't been for a night out in town for a while and was flabbergasted at the amount of people in sleeping bags in doorways all over the very centre of the city.
And this is from someone born and raised in Dublin.
Georges St, Dame St, Temple Bar..............people everywhere.
Very, very shocking to see.

Rip to the poor chap.

Paramite Pie

I was in a 24hr internet cafe a few months back in Dublin -- a lot of homeless people who couldn't get a room were spending their night there.

One of them was only 14. A charity group came around with sandwiches & coffee at around 3/4am.

When I move back to Dublin I plan to volunteer with them, I don't have money to give but I do have some time. It was hard to witness, it's one thing to pass someone on the street and forget about it 2mins later, it's harder to forget when you see it up close.

JupiterKid

Very sad to hear. As winter approaches I expect to hear about more deaths of homeless people.

Most of us are only a few paycheques away from being homeless on the streets.

pmasterson95

Sure ya wont get much interest here about Irish dying. Now if he was Syrian this would 10+ pages of eejits crying injustice. Hes irish. Just not as cool.

Penny Tration

pmasterson95 wrote: »

Sure ya wont get much interest here about Irish dying. Now if he was Syrian this would 10+ pages of eejits crying injustice. Hes irish. Just not as cool.

Oh Jesus would you give over. It's got nothing to do with bloody Syria ffs

pmasterson95

Penny Tration wrote: »

Oh Jesus would you give over. It's got nothing to do with bloody Syria ffs

Hence why it is gaining no attention here. Its not a "cool" topic. Only the cool topics make the bandwagoners giddy.

Sunflower 27

Sadly the man was homeless so in all likelihood is he was going to die on the street. I was in Dublin last weekend and saw maybe 4 or 5 homeless guys passed out in sleeping bags. I presumed they were asleep and did not wake them. I am the furthest thing you will find to a reveller.
May he RIP.

Richard Hillman

If everybody checked to see if a sleeping homeless person was alive as they walked by, you'd have a lot of angry homeless folk.

Kluster

As the nights are getting colder I am sure we could expect a few more homeless to die on the streets...we need more sheltered housing soon

Kluster

Thanks

Riverireland

Smidge wrote: »

I have to say, I hadn't been for a night out in town for a while and was flabbergasted at the amount of people in sleeping bags in doorways all over the very centre of the city.
And this is from someone born and raised in Dublin.
Georges St, Dame St, Temple Bar..............people everywhere.
Very, very shocking to see.

Rip to the poor chap.

Have to agree. It's only when you see it that you can fully appreciate it, even worse when you think the hostels are open at this stage so the ones the are out are out for the night!

RIP to the deceased.

suicide_circus

JupiterKid wrote: »

Most of us are only a few paycheques away from being homeless on the streets.

It's mad isn't it? I'm taking in okay money and yet am in fact permanently teetering on the edge of homelessness. That said, as a human being, one is permanently teetering on the edge of death.

JustTheOne

There is room for these people.

It's been well documented they refuse because they have to refrain from drink and drugs in the hostels.

Now in saying that maybe some of them haven't an addiction and choose for whatever reason not to stay there.

Jon Stark

JustTheOne wrote: »

There is room for these people.

It's been well documented they refuse because they have to refrain from drink and drugs in the hostels.

Now in saying that maybe some of them haven't an addiction and choose for whatever reason not to stay there.

There are hostels that allow alcohol but not drugs for obvious reasons. Unfortunately these type of hostels can be quite intimidating, so there are homeless people who would genuinely prefer to sleep rough that stay in such hostels.

In relation to revellers passing by, most Homeless people sleeping rough prefer to be left alone, so it's just the media trying to manipulate people into feeling guilty. There's no need for it and actually deflects from the real problems.

Menas

JustTheOne wrote: »

There is room for these people.

It's been well documented they refuse because they have to refrain from drink and drugs in the hostels.

Now in saying that maybe some of them haven't an addiction and choose for whatever reason not to stay there.

Many actually dont stay in hostels because of people injecting in there and they feel safer on the streets.

JustTheOne

Menas wrote: »

Many actually dont stay in hostels because of people injecting in there and they feel safer on the streets.

Any links to back this claim up?

Cause there is plenty to back up the claim they refuse cause of their addiction issues.

There was a woman from the Simon community on tv last week saying a homeless fella handed back Keys to a brand new flat he got from the council.

He just couldn't handle it.

It's not as simple as giving someone a place to stay. We spend a 100 million on homelessness each year.

Dallas has the same population as Dublin
And has 3500 sleeping rough.

It's always been a problem in Dublin but suddenly we have people using it as a stick to beat enda with pretending they actually care and riding that high horse with pure hypocrisy.

Menas

JustTheOne wrote: »

Any links to back this claim up?

Cause there is plenty to back up the claim they refuse cause of their addiction issues.

An example from last saturday's irish times where people sleeping on grafton st mention it.

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/exiles-on-main-street-the-homeless-of-grafton-street-1.2385825

JustTheOne

Menas wrote: »

An example from last saturday's irish times where people sleeping on grafton st mention it.

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/exiles-on-main-street-the-homeless-of-grafton-street-1.2385825

With the 100 million funding a shelter should be set up for people who do not take drink or drugs. It wouldn't be hard to differentiate.

What are they spending the money on one wonders?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

I was walking up Clare street yesterday and there was a man passed out, late morning, slumped on the footpath, head thrown back, out cold. I actually thought he was dead too.
But is this a homeless problem? I don't think so. I think it's a drug problem. The last two talked about deaths, both have died from drugs. Has drugs played a part in this death too? More than likely.

If you walk through the city centre, take the luas, etc the place is awash with people begging, people off their faces, people injecting themselves. THAT should not be tolerated. Addicts are clearly unwell, and addiction will come before looking after themselves, food, hostels or whatever else they tell you the money is for. I will never give cash, will usually offer to buy food or tea or coffee if I have the money, and most of the time, it's just money they want.

If the government are going to do anything, they need to tackle the drug problem first and foremost. Heroin kills. That's no surprise. Because if you put a heroin user into a house, yeah they're off the streets but chances of them ending up dead anyway is still pretty high

corner of hells

JustTheOne wrote: »

With the 100 million funding a shelter should be set up for people who do not take drink or drugs. It wouldn't be hard to differentiate.

What are they spending the money on one wonders?

There is accommodation for individuals who don't have an alcohol issue or drug use , it varies temporary emergency accommodation right up to different types of supported housing and onto to housing association eventually.

There are a few hostels allowing alcohol use and the remainder are dry as in no drinking inside .Hard to enforce though.

JustTheOne

corner of hells wrote: »

There is accommodation for individuals who don't have an alcohol issue or drug use , it varies temporary emergency accommodation right up to different types of supported housing and onto to housing association eventually.

There are a few hostels allowing alcohol use and the remainder are dry as in no drinking inside .Hard to enforce though.

Oh right.

So why are people accusing the government of doing nothing?

The Corinthian

LexieOnRale wrote: »

But is this a homeless problem? I don't think so. I think it's a drug problem. The last two talked about deaths, both have died from drugs. Has drugs played a part in this death too? More than likely.

Indeed. What I've read of this case is that it was most likely a drug overdose.

Ultimately it's a drugs problem. It's drugs that makes (or at least contributes) such people homeless to begin with and drugs that ultimately kills them.

This is not to suggest that homelessness is not a problem, but a drug overdose will kill someone just as easily in their home as it does on the street - and regularly does, but dying of an overdose at home won't catch the attention of the bleeding hearts as quickly.

AudreyHepburn

Terribly sad to think of anyone ending their lives cold and alone on some dirty street.....but I do have to shake my head in exasperation at all the blustering and pontificating and high horsing going on.

The people standing up on pedestals berating the rest of us for walking by, the government for ignoring the issue, the health services for not doing more about drug and alcohol abuse etc etc are probably the exact same people who walked by this man with their noses in the air, ignoring him.

JustTheOne

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Terribly sad to think of anyone ending their lives cold and alone on some dirty street.....but I do have to shake my head in exasperation at all the blustering and pontificating and high horsing going on.

The people standing up on pedestals berating the rest of us for walking by, the government for ignoring the issue, the health services for not doing more about drug and alcohol abuse etc etc are probably the exact same people who walked by this man with their noses in the air, ignoring him.

Anything for a dig at the guberment.

corner of hells

JustTheOne wrote: »

Oh right.

So why are people accusing the government of doing nothing?

I wonder are you looking for an argument with the "oh right" comment.

Anyways we have in and around 150 rough sleepers a night either unwilling or unable to access a one night only bed for whatever reasons , be they mental health issues , chronic addiction, entrenched rough sleeping or the actual lack of beds .
A little earlier a poster made the comment along the lines "its not as simple as providing a bed " , might have been yourself.

There is no quick fit solution , with some it takes years of support moving toward independent living engaging with and resolving any number of problems.

I see it everyday at work.

seamus

JustTheOne wrote: »

So why are people accusing the government of doing nothing?

It's always been an issue, but lack of housing in general is a hot topic at present so homelessness too is a part of that.

It's worth noting that there are overnight places for these people to go. But being hostels, it means that drink & drugs are banned, as are pets. So many of these people obviously have no interest in such a place. Many also express fears for their safety. Which is pretty legit - all it takes is one guy who's out of his mind staying in the same room and you'll end up getting a beating the middle of the night.

I stayed in a budget hotel in Bordeaux once that had a modular bathroom in it. Basically a big PVC room was cast in one piece. They pop the room into the side of the hotel room, hook it up to the plumbing and bam, instant bathroom. It was actually cool.

For those sleeping rough, you could have modular overnight rooms like this rather than hostels. Whole thing is made of PVC, you add some toiletries and blankets. "Resident" goes in before midnight and the door is locked behind them, only staff or the person themselves can open the door*. Door is opened again at 10am, everyone is chucked out, bedding stripped and sent off to be washed, cleaning guys go in with a powerhose and spray the whole room down top to bottom, bam, clean room for the next night.

*With the priviso that you can bring in whatever you want with you, but if you leave, you're gone and can't come back in that night.

JustTheOne

corner of hells wrote: »

I wonder are you looking for an argument with the "oh right" comment.

Anyways we have in and around 150 rough sleepers a night either unwilling or unable to access a one night only bed for whatever reasons , be they mental health issues , chronic addiction, entrenched rough sleeping or the actual lack of beds .
A little earlier a poster made the comment along the lines "its not as simple as providing a bed " , might have been yourself.

There is no quick fit solution , with some it takes years of support moving toward independent living engaging with and resolving any number of problems.

I see it everyday at work.

The oh right comment was that I hadn't known there was such a shelter available.

corner of hells

JustTheOne wrote: »

The oh right comment was that I hadn't known there was such a shelter available.

My apologies

suicide_circus

The Corinthian wrote: »

Indeed. What I've read of this case is that it was most likely a drug overdose.

Ultimately it's a drugs problem. It's drugs that makes (or at least contributes) such people homeless to begin with and drugs that ultimately kills them.

This is not to suggest that homelessness is not a problem, but a drug overdose will kill someone just as easily in their home as it does on the street - and regularly does, but dying of an overdose at home won't catch the attention of the bleeding hearts as quickly.

I've a friend who works with the homeless. She will tell you that anyone you see who is actually sleeping rough is there because they are unable or unwilling to sleep in shelters or hostels which all operate no drink/drugs policies. The reason you don't see a mother and her kids sleeping in the street is that they are not strug out.
It may be harsh to say but if you are shooting up and die on the street, it may not be anyone else's "fault".

The Corinthian

suicide_circus wrote: »

The reason you don't see a mother and her kids sleeping in the street is that they are not strug out.

Well, that women, especially mothers, will be prioritized for emergency housing and men are excluded from getting emergency housing, is probably a more pertinent reason.

CruelCoin

Kluster wrote: »

As the nights are getting colder I am sure we could expect a few more homeless to die on the streets...we need more sheltered housing soon

No, no we do not.

I'm not going to dig it up, but wasn't there a lot of recentish news controversy over the costs of providing homeless housing? More than the average industrial wage per person i thought it was.

Throwing more band-aids at the problem isn't going to solve anything other than move the problem out of sight.

If you're homeless, odds are you're not working and are therefore mobile. If you're not working then the dole is plenty sufficient for you to rent a home/room outside the city (think leitrim, laois, etc). So, i don't think not having a roof over your head is justifiable.

"But joe, what about the drugs and dem drinks?" Ah give up.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Do they get dole without an address?

CruelCoin

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Do they get dole without an address?

No idea.

"quick google"

Dil ireann - Volume 632 - 01 March, 2007 - Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a homeless person is entitled to a social welfare payment; the procedure to obtain such a payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter

To which the response was:
Homeless people have the same entitlements as any other Irish citizen under the social welfare system. If they are unemployed but capable of and genuinely seeking work, then they can apply for job seekers allowance. A person makes a claim to job seekers allowance by completing a claim form at the Department’s local office. Homeless people can be paid basic allowance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme if they do not fulfil the conditions for any other primary weekly payment from my Department.




Turns out yes, yes they can

lawlolawl

The only way the government can fix the "homeless problem" is to cure addiction.

Now, no one has ever managed to do this in the history of mankind but I think Enda and the lads are well up to it.

FelineOverLord

Penny Tration wrote: »

Oh Jesus would you give over. It's got nothing to do with bloody Syria ffs

Yes it is. We're taking in thousands of refugees and that is going to cost us a fortune. We have no legal obligation to take them and the money would be far better spent taking care of our own homeless before we start importing people we're going to have to house, clothe, feed, educate and provide medical and dental care for. But that isn't what this thread is about.