95 homeless people died in Dublin last year, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive has confirmed with figures released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act.  

Of the 95 who died, 23 were in supported temporary accommodation.

Dr Austin O'Carroll, who works with homeless people in Dublin city, said there are several factors in homeless deaths.

“Poverty is associated with things like increased addiction - including alcohol addiction and in particular drug addiction,” he told Newstalk. 

“People often enter homelessness as a result of these and these things do cause earlier death. 

“Now, what happens with homelessness is these issues can get exacerbated and the way they cause death is alcoholism can cause death through liver failure and drug addiction causes death mainly through overdoses - which is a significant cause of death among homeless people.” 

Homeless Rough Sleeper.

O'Carroll also said homeless people are more likely to be the victims of violence and car accidents as they are more often on the streets.

Professor Bill Tormey, a consultant in Beaumont Hospital, said there are other factors involved as well.

“Flu, COVID - all that sort of stuff - they would also kill people even though they go into hostels because they just pass it around among each other in hostels,” he said. 

The number of homeless deaths in the capital last year is down from 115 in 2021 - but is significantly above the previous three years.

Main image: Homeless person shelters from the cold Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin. Image: Michael Rooney / Alamy