Martina Devlin: 'We must elect leaders whose policies don't treat human beings as disposable'

Horror: Gardaí at the scene where a homeless man was injured in an incident beside the Grand Canal in Dublin’s city centre. Photo: Collins

Martina Devlin

Homes toppled, their occupants discarded without a second thought - thank goodness those days are gone. Evictions were a feature of Irish life under British rule in the 19th century but the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.

Or do they? Evictions are back with a vengeance in the 21st century, with rough sleepers and their temporary shelters being swept away as eyesores. If people can't see the problem, it doesn't exist, right? So much for almost 100 years of self-government.