Sir, – Much of the commentary surrounding our homelessness crisis alludes to the fact that those impacted are “not all addicts”. The implication appears to be that addicts are unlike the other “good” homeless people who did nothing to deserve their fate.
Why do we have empathy for one and not the other? Addiction is widely acknowledged as a disease, often compounded by mental illness or personal circumstances. When will the Government acknowledge that the way forward in combating addiction is to treat it as a public health issue and not a criminal issue?
When will people learn that homeless addicts are humans too? I urge readers who don’t want to give homeless people money because “they’ll only spend it on drugs”, to offer them a cup of tea instead, or better still, two or three minutes of conversation.
– Yours, etc,
KATIE HARRINGTON
Dublin 12.