“The Lord Mayor Should Make A Statement”

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From top: The spot where a man was seriously injured when a tent he was sleeping in was removed by an ‘industrial vehicle’; Taoiseach Leo Varadkar launching Fine Gael’s election campaign at CombiLift in Monaghan today

Earlier today.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other members of Fine Gael launched the party’s general election campaign at CombiLift in Monaghan.

During the launch, Mr Varadkar was asked by reporters about the homeless man who suffered ‘life-changing injuries’ when the tent in which he was sleeping was removed by Dublin City Council/Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and Waterways Ireland near Leeson Street Bridge, along the Grand Canal yesterday at lunchtime.

An “industrial vehicle” was reportedly being used to remove the man’s tent.

Mr Varadkar initially said he was “loathe” to comment on individual cases “until we know all the facts” before he called on Dublin’s Lord Mayor and city councillor Paul McAuliffe to make a statement.

He said Mr McAuliffe is “politically responsible for the council”.

Mr McAuliffe is also a general election candidate in Dublin North West where Fine Gael’s Noel Rock is hoping to retain his seat.

Mr Varadkar told journalists:

“My understanding is that the city council and Waterways Ireland did check the tents before moving them but obviously something went wrong here.

“So I think it’s important that, you know, the city council and, you know, the Lord Mayor, whose politically responsible for the city council, should make a statement, and Waterways Ireland too.

“But the most important thing is that we wish him a speedy recovery.

He is known to homeless services, has been offered accommodation in the past, will be offered accommodation in the future.

“We’ll do everything we can to reduce rough sleeping.

“I remember when we took over the housing department about three-and-a-half years ago, there were over 160 people sleeping rough on our streets in Dublin, that’s now down around 92.”

Meanwhile

Meanwhile…

UPDATE:

Earlier: At Leeson Street Bridge (Updated)

Pic: Andrew Lowth

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24 thoughts on ““The Lord Mayor Should Make A Statement”

    1. Cian

      Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other members of Fine Gael launched the party’s general election campaign at CombiLift in Monaghan.

      Yes. it is literally an election campaign.

      1. Iwerzon

        When asked to comment on the tragic incident Varadkar choose to finish with “I remember when we took over the housing department about three-and-a-half years ago, there were over 160 people sleeping rough on our streets in Dublin, that’s now down around 92.”
        This is crass electioneering, he feels no shame.

  1. Johnny

    Crass and crafty, pulling the FF Mayor in to this one. The photo with Eoghan Murphy’s smiling mug over the bridge, where the tent was, is clearly worrying FG. Good.

  2. Col

    Why are we in a position where the councils need to sweep the signs of homelessness out of our cities?

  3. Spaghetti Hoop

    Dumps it over to the FF Mayor, lol.

    Seriously though – were the tent-dwellers notified that their tent and belongings were going to be cleared by DCC & Waterways Ireland on this date at a given time? That would be giving the people reasonable due notice to vacate the area. And what was the criteria of checking before driving through with the JCB? A quick peek inside a tent is not sufficient in terms of health and safety.

    1. V

      Look it
      If t’was a handbag left there they’d be out’ve the cab (or whatever in the thing) in no time to check what was inside it
      Even a bag of cans would have got a closer look

  4. Kevin

    Removed by industrial means
    Like garbage
    Sums up the mentality about these sub humans
    Maybe cleared so election posters are not obscured

    1. V

      You’re not wrong
      Pre Celtic Tiger
      the only time the canals and their walkways, between Lower Mount Street Bridge and Donore Bridge, were cleaned was when there was an election
      Ask Rory Quinn

    2. Chris

      The workers did not know that a person was in there, stop pretending that this is some metaphor for how the government treats the homeless. Millions and millions of public as well as charity money is put into homelessness every year.

      1. millie vanilly strikes again

        You’re right. It was asking them to go well beyond their duties to apply just a little bit of diligence and maybe check that the tents didn’t have people in them.

        1. postmanpat

          I bet a million quatloos it was a flabby hungover council lifer with a massive gut hanging over his snickers ,couldn’t be arsed climbing all the way down out of the JCB to only to have to bend over.. pheww… to zip open the tent door and check inside…(sweating profusely) and THEN…sorry …let me catch my breath…. to climb ALL the way back up into the J….C…..cough…B … Jesus the thoughts of it is exhausting. Ah look! if someone is in there they’ll hear me and wake up. That council worker is out now on paid stress leave no doubt. He’s sitting on his arse (even though he has legs unlike the guy he ran over) on the phone to the union to spin the situation in his favour. Big payouts all round. Our tax euros at work!!

    1. Tighe’s Cylon

      Looks like Murphdog’s crew got to the poster. It’s receiving counseling and will redeployed shortly.

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