James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I was speaking to representatives of the homeless services and there was a sad and despondent air amid the news of Mr. Jonathan Corrie dying outside the gates of Leinster House. Mr. Corrie was known to the homeless services as "Teardrop John" because he had a teardrop tattoo on his face. To see the reporting of it, it takes away from the human aspect of this.

Mr. Corrie spoke to a friend of mine who is involved with the homeless services on Tuesday night last and he told them that he loved fishing. He had a fine conversation about his parents and I want to put on the record of the House the high regard in which he held, and the love and affection that he felt for, his mother in particular. I believe that on that day he had just spoken to her for the first time in five years. Indeed, he spoke in very high regard of his father at that time as well.

No wonder people are affected by seeing him dead before Christmas. We can talk all day about the reasons people are homeless, but the fact remains that this was a man with a heart, a human being who died because he had no roof over his head.

We cannot underestimate the scale of the epidemic, especially here in the capital city but also in Limerick, Cork, Galway and elsewhere. It is a national disgrace. It is a national shame that this is going on. I welcome the debate that is proposed for tomorrow. To be honest, it is long overdue.

On Wednesday night the week before last, I took part in the homeless count where we went around the city. I was given, with my group, a small area, from O'Connell Bridge to Liberty Hall where there was somebody sleeping at the doors, past the-----