Homeless in a pandemic: "They're more vulnerable to the virus and less able to avoid it"

The Irish Times World View Podcast

In today's episode, we hear from Irish Times Social Affairs correspondent Kitty Holland, who has been speaking to people availing of homeless services across Dublin City. At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, over 10,000 people in Ireland were registered as homeless and in recent weeks the demand on services has greatly increased. For those in emergency accommodation, it’s almost impossible to self isolate and adhere to the strict measures imposed by the government, while detox programs for drug addicts have been put on hold. Rebecca O'Carroll, service manager with the Dublin Simon Community also explains how residents in long term supported care are dealing with the changes in their daily lives.