Mary McCarthy: We owed men of ‘tent city’ protection and dignity, but to our shame we provided neither

'Tent city' at Grattan Court, Mount Street, Dublin. Photo: Collins

Mary McCarthy

If the Government can solve the appalling “tent city” situation on Dublin’s Mount Street and find somewhere for the homeless male asylum-seekers now, then why not earlier?

Taoiseach Simon Harris said yesterday that the situation had become “completely unacceptable”, but it’s worse than un­acceptable. It was downright shameful to leave the men in such conditions. More than 200 were left sleeping on concrete with no toilet.