Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sure that in all the years that John Corrie spent living rough on the streets of Dublin little did he think his name would be mentioned by practically everybody who has spoken in this House of Parliament here today. As we think of him, and think of his grieving family, the greatest tribute and, hopefully, legacy he can leave is that we will do everything possible, as public representatives and parliamentarians, to redouble our efforts to make sure, in as far as is humanly possible, that nobody else will die on our streets anywhere in Ireland as a result of not having shelter for the night.

I welcome the fact that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government will convene a forum on homelessness. I have no doubt that all the State agencies will redouble their efforts to ensure that many of the people who are homeless on our streets will have shelter during this winter.

We need to widen the debate and investigate why so many people with broken lives live on our streets. We see on a daily basis the many people whose lives are ravaged by the abuse of alcohol and drugs. We need to tackle the drug traffickers and the people who facilitate the distribution of their illicit trade. We need to provide more rehabilitation facilities for people who wish to come off drugs and alcohol. We also need to address the many issues faced by people with mental health problems. Let this tragedy be a wake-up call for all of us to address these major social issues that face the country today. It is almost 100 years since people fought at the GPO for freedom. If we are to remember John Corrie then let us take decisive action to address the many serious problems that face our country today.