Meath homelessness activists to join Dublin protest

Meath members of Ireland’s tenants’ and housing union, Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) will be joining an all-island housing demonstration on Saturday (5th July) in Dublin City Centre and are encouraging anyone who would like to join them on the march to make contact.

The march is being held in response to the rapidly escalating housing crisis in both the Republic and the North of Ireland.

Finbar Lynch a member of the Meath branch said a large group will travel from Meath, joining hundreds of people from across the country.

"We are encouraging those who would like to either join the housing union or simply join us on the day, to travel with us. We are taking the 109 service leaving Navan at 11.20 and Dunshaughlin at 11.50.

"CATU believes that the governments in power in both jurisdictions have demonstrated their inability and lack of commitment to addressing homelessness and housing inequality."

Mr Lynch was critical of the government's decision to gut the tenant-in-situ scheme.

"We want to see an end to child homelessness, a ban on evictions and an increase in construction of social housing."

Cllr Alan Lawes will also be travelling to the protest with volunteers from Meath Homeless Outreach.

"This protest is being held by community groups and we will be campaigning all all the housing issues, standards in emergency accommodation, the amount of social and affordable housing.

"Every year the amount of people in emergency accommodation is rising, the price of houses is way out of reach of most people and rents are rising.

"There doesn't seem to be the political will to tackle it, instead they are keeping the status quo for vulture funds and big developers.

"They were able to move mountains during Covid, we have an housing emergency now and should do so again."

CATU is calling on both the Dáil and Stormont to immediately implement a number of measures to protect people from homelessness, including the introduction and reinstatement of the eviction ban; a commitment to ensure no child is living in emergency accommodation by 2026; and a full and proper resourcing of the tenant in situ scheme.

The union is also demanding an end to "the inhumane and exploitative direct provision system, and urgent resourcing and provision of culturally appropriate Traveller accommodation to end the discrimination which sees Travellers overrepresented in the homeless figures".

The union also demands a rapid expansion of community mental health and addiction support to address the complex harms experienced by many people forced into the homeless system.