The Health Research Board has released a report on the number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness in Ireland in 2021. Dublin Simon Community CEO Catherine Kenny responds to the report: 

“Today’s report from the Health Research Board confirms a devastating reality: 128 people died in homelessness in 2021, the equivalent of eleven lives lost every month—most of them young men in their 30s and 40s. 

These are not just numbers. They are people. People who were failed by systems that should have protected them. People who died in pain, in isolation, and often in crisis—43% in emergency accommodation and 30% in public places or derelict buildings. 

This report confirms what we see every day on the frontlines: a combination of trauma, addiction, and systemic neglect is robbing people of their futures. We are continuing to fail them—again and again—as a society. We need a cross-departmental Government Strategy to tackle this crisis. 

In 2023, Dublin Simon opened Usher’s Island Health and Addiction Care Facility—a first-of-its-kind residential treatment centre designed to provide medical care, stabilisation, and pathways to recovery for people who are homeless with significant healthcare needs. The potential of this facility is enormous. It saves lives. It reduces pressure on hospital emergency departments. It generates cost savings across the healthcare system. 

But it is only operating at half capacity. Despite the urgent and growing need, despite people dying in homelessness mostly due to drug poisoning, only 51 of the 100 beds are in use today. The remaining 49 beds are closed, waiting for the Government to release the necessary funding. 

While the Government looks for solutions and Dublin Simon offers one-of-a-kind care, each day these beds remain closed, people who need help are being turned away. Every week we wait, we risk more preventable deaths. 

We are calling on the Government to act now—fund these remaining beds and invest in the services proven to save lives. We cannot afford to delay. Lives are literally hanging in the balance. 

Our hearts are with the families, friends, and frontline workers who carry the weight of these losses. Dublin Simon will continue to fight for those most at risk and continue to honour the memory of those we have lost—with action, with compassion, and with unwavering resolve.”