Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that, but there is nothing better than listening to the remarks as they are made, as the Minister of State well knows. Deputy Mattie McGrath stated, "Ní neart go cur le chéile". We in Aontú have a similar saying, namely, that we all live under the same sky and we are all responsible for each other. During this pandemic and during the recession, we have an obligation as politicians, but also as human beings, to look out for the most vulnerable, identify the groups that are at risk of homelessness or extreme poverty and do everything we can to protect them.

We in Aontú have been very carefully monitoring the situation with regard to homeless deaths in the past month. It is incredible. More people have died in homelessness in Dublin city so far this year than died in all of last year or the year before, in spite of the fact that December and January are among the toughest months for people who are homeless. The week before last, Inner City Helping Homeless held an event outside Leinster House to commemorate the homeless people who have died so far this year in Dublin. Fifty-six black balloons were tied to the railings of Leinster House, each one representing a person who has died in homelessness in the city so far this year. It is an indictment of Government policy and inaction that that is the case. When I raised this issue in the Chamber some weeks ago when the spike in homelessness was at its height, the Minister was asked about it in front of a camera and a microphone. He was asked would he hold an investigation into the matter and he stated that he would. I tabled a parliamentary question ten days later to ask whether any update was forthcoming on that investigation. So far, no such information is forthcoming. I do not even know whether there is an investigation into this matter. Is there an investigation into it?

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