Stray people?

THE serious injuries suffered by a homeless man in Dublin at the hands of street cleaners is shocking but not surprising, given the level of rough sleepers nationwide and the determination of local authorities to remove them from our midst.

Living on the streets can be hazardous in a variety of ways. Apart from hunger and cold, they are already in grave danger of suffering harm by assailants.

In October, a homeless man died in the Mardyke area of Cork after being attacked and the tent in which he was living set on fire.

Other hazards for the homeless include losing the only home they have.

Just before Christmas, two other homeless individuals who pitched opposite the Hilton Hotel in Dublin had their tents as well as their belongings and personal mementos removed and taken away by city council workers, without even giving them the opportunity to retrieve them.

Even stray dogs on the streets are taken to a pound to allow owners or animal lovers to get them. Stray people, it seems, have fewer rights.

For the sake of our collective humanity and common decency, that has to change.