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Updated 21:43
THE BODY OF a man in his mid-40s was found at a car park in Bray early this morning.
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery but do not believe anything of a suspicious nature occurred.
Although no cause of death has been confirmed, initial reports from the scene indicate the deceased may have been sleeping rough overnight and died of natural causes.
The incident has revived memories of the death of homeless man Paul Doyle whose body was discovered outside a Tesco Express supermarket in the town last December.
The 33-year-old had died of hypothermia after sleeping outside in freezing temperatures.
“If it does transpire that this is another case of a homeless man freezing to death, it is a damning indictment of society as a whole,” local councillor John Brady told TheJournal.ie today.
Describing last year’s move to open up a disused public toilet to protect homeless people from cold conditions as “tokenism” and “a slap in the face”, the Sinn Féin politician said there have been no tangible changes over the past 12 months.
“It is a grim reminder that society has failed so many people. We don’t need tokenism, we need constructive action,” he added.
The car park the man was found in is an area that homeless people congregate at night.
The issue of housing and homelessness has been discussed at multiple council meetings since Paul Doyle’s death. During the June meeting, Cathaoirleach Tracey O’Brien said: “Housing and homelessness is my top priority. I will definitely try everything in my power. I will try and meet with the
minister and I will try my damnedest to work on the housing crisis.”
There are currently fears that a homeless shelter which sleeps 18 single men at Brighton Terrace could see funding cuts next year.
In a statement this afternoon, Bray Town Council extended its condolences to the man’s family. It also confirmed that the deceased had accommodation in the town and was “engaging with the relevant services until his untimely death”.
First published 11:45
Additional reporting by Christina Finn
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A sad fact is they will still vote Conservative, like the past few elections, not because the Tory party is of any use, it’s just no creditable opposition exists, Labour cant find its feet and Starmer is weak and goes with what’s popular rather than what’s needed, voters fear this, Labour will do well but not brilliant, sad but true.
@Valentine Kane: Compared to Johnson, Starmer looks like Hercules! Boris Johnson has never told the truth. It just goes to show you how much of a hold the British media have on the people that Boris Johnson got into power in the first place. He had more skeletons in his closet than Jeffery Dahmer.
@Mike Ruddy: correct – he’s realised what Corbyn was up against in the British media. And Starmer is much more palatable to the media there than Corbyn ever was.
“integrity issue”!!! Are they for real!?
They voted him in as leader. What part of his long and very public history didn’t clearly show him as a inveterate liar and con artist. Was being fired from 2 separate jobs not enough? How about trying to get a journalist assaulted? None of that was a clue?
Quite frankly, it’s galling that these people blame him. He’s clearly shown his true colours for decades. Have they never read the Frog and the scorpion? It’s in his nature!
No not the, Greens gaining seats. dig deeper into your pockets for that Lot.
Chucking Borris out will regain 50% of their vote. He’s toxic now.
@Kevin Conway: That was the plan all along, the Conservatives knew they were going to have a bad election so left Boris in place even as more and more scandels broke. That way they can now get rid of him, spinning it as if they are cleaning up the party, and install a new leader with a clean slate. No point in getting a new leader before the election and having a disaster, it would make the new leader seem weak.
have your say