Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould has today called on the government to establish an oversight body to track and record homeless deaths.

Teachta Gould said: “I have asked the Minister for Health which body was responsible for oversight of homeless deaths. Neither the Department of Health or the Department of Housing track these deaths nationally. 

“We have seen 10 homeless people sadly pass away in recent weeks, but we have no way of officially monitoring these figures or finding possible trends that might protect other people in this situation.

“An investigation needs to be launched immediately into these recent deaths.

“Recent reports highlighting the increased risk of sexual assault and violence for homeless people is extremely worrying. These incidents need to be monitored and trends identified to best protect vulnerable people. 

“The government needs to take control of this Housing Crisis and acknowledge that the impact it is having can be fatal. 

“Without oversight and monitoring, we are telling homeless people we do not value them. This needs to change.”