According to figures released by the Cork Simon Community, the number of homeless people in Cork City has grown by nine times since 2011.
In a sad and revealing indictment for succesive governments, there were just 35 people sleeping rough back then. By the end of October this year, that number has risen to 311.
Brian Quinn, an outreach worker from the charity, has said that “The ideal is that you’re on the street, you link in with someone, you can offer them options.”
“Whereas for the last 12, 18 months, you kind of encourage people in, make links with them,
but you seem to be saying ‘No’ more than any other word, you know?
“‘Is there somewhere for me tonight?’ – ‘No’.
“The only thing you kind of say Yes to is ‘Will I have to come back at 11 o’clock for a chance for a bed or a sleeping bag?’ and you go: ‘Yes’.
“And that makes the job incredibly tough, no matter how long you’re doing it, to see someone standing in front of you, who’s been coming every day for weeks and weeks, possibly months on end.”