Gardaí and housing authorities are working to identify a man who was found dead in Dublin city centre on Tuesday.
Gardaí from Pearse Street Garda station were alerted to the discovery of the body of a man, who had been sleeping rough, on St Andrew's Street in Dublin 2 in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
His death is understood to be the first official recording of a rough sleeper this year, according to homelessness organisation, A Lending Hand.
The scene where the man's body was discovered has been preserved pending a technical examination, and investigations are ongoing.
The man's death came as a status yellow warning for low temperatures was issued by Met Éireann, as conditions plummeted to -5 degrees overnight.
The Department of Housing confirmed it had been notified of the man’s death, with a spokesperson describing the man's death as a "tragedy".
They added: "It is important to establish the circumstances involved, and that our response is based on the best knowledge and evidence available."
A spokesperson from A Lending Hand said: "This has been my fear that a rough sleeper would lose their life, especially now with the weather cold snap.
"This is the first death this year of a rough sleeper, and it won’t be the last unless more adequate and safe accommodation is opened up.
"It’s ridiculous that in 2024 we have someone losing their life on the streets. We are only in the second week of January and already someone is dead."
