Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Housing, Planning and Local Government, Darragh O’Brien has called for greater supports to be made available to members of the homeless community during the COVID-19 restrictions.
So far nine homeless people have been confirmed to have COVID-19 to date in Dublin with a further 51 people from the homeless communities isolating.
Deputy O’Brien said: “Many homeless people have underlying health and would be extremely vulnerable at the minute. It’s important that the homeless community is not forgotten about during this time of uncertainty in the country.
“There are currently over 50 members of the homeless community isolating at present and nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst the community. It was announced earlier this week that 110 individual hotel rooms have been secured in Dublin to help homeless people during the coronavirus crisis.”
“More rooms may need to be secured depending on the numbers in the coming weeks. It’s important for anyone concerned about the health of a homeless person to contact the Department or homeless charities so that the person can be cared for.
“These are extremely testing times for the country and in particular vulnerable communities such as the homeless community who struggle to have the appropriate means to self-isolate if necessary,” concluded Deputy O’Brien.