Paul Hosford: Homelessness is now becoming more of a statistic than a tragedy
Earlier this month, a cold weather snap sparked a reaction from authorities as tents outside IPAS offices collapsed under the snow. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
There is something of a rule in journalism or any storytelling.
At its heart, it comes down to that Kurt Tucholsky adage of one death being a tragedy, but a thousand being a statistic.
Humans being a narrative species, we place as much stock in anecdotal value as we do empirical evidence.
That is why we understand the scale of the problems facing the nation, but we rarely get really mad until those problems are made personal or tangible.
Therefore when the Department of Integration releases the number of international protection applicants without State-provided accommodation every Tuesday and Friday, it has been easy to ignore the milestones.
First, 100 people were without shelter provided by the State. Then 500. Then it hit 1,000 and, while the impact was noticeable on the streets of Dublin to a certain extent, it had yet to become part of the public psyche.
The growth of what is being dubbed a “tent city” near the offices of the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) in Dublin’s south city has in fact been ongoing for some weeks.
It took an unseasonable snowstorm to force a reaction from the authorities as tents gave way under the weight of snow and dire warnings were made about how those who had arrived in Ireland would cope with the bitter cold.
At the time, the ’s Alison O’Reilly spoke to Ahmad Jan, who fled the Taliban in search of a better life in Ireland.
“Every day it’s raining, and I am on the streets,” he said. “It is not good. I escaped from Afghanistan. I get out from hell and fall into another hell.”Â
While some of the men were moved to emergency shelters, that arrangement lasted only two nights and, since then, the number of unhoused asylum seekers and the size of the tent city have swelled.
As of yesterday, 1,268 are without State-provided housing.
The genesis of the issue is simple: The Government has run out of places to house asylum seekers and is prioritising women, children, and families.
In December Cabinet signed off on giving international protection applicants who did not receive an offer of accommodation an extra €75 in their weekly payment in lieu of housing. Asylum seekers are entitled to €38.50 every week, but this will rise to €113.80.
The opposition has strongly argued that the measure coupled with this week’s cut to the welfare rate applied to those arriving from Ukraine are simple deterrents for those who might claim asylum on these shores.
While the Government has said that there is a need to “slow the flow” of people coming here, they are keen to press home that anyone who genuinely needs and is entitled to asylum will be granted it, while those who aren’t entitled will be asked to depart the State.
But whatever the motivation on behalf of politicians, whatever your view on immigration, a tent city on the streets of the capital, just 500 metres from the back gates of Leinster House is a bracing sight.
There are no toilet facilities, no showers, no medical treatment, there has been a scabies outbreak.
The issue was raised at a Dublin City Council housing committee meeting during the week, but as councillors railed at the conditions, director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) Mary Hayes said that while the area would be cleaned up, housing the men lay outside of her organisation’s remit.
Meanwhile, members of the Government are abroad selling Ireland as a place for foreigners to come and spend their money.
Be clear, though, tents are nothing new on the streets of Dublin. They have been used by homeless people for a long time and their plight is no less urgent. But, right now, the number of tents on Dublin’s streets risks becoming just another statistic.
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