- Judge grants further reprieve, allowing tenants to stay until 5pm Saturday
- Landlord must provide alternative accommodation for remaining tenants by 5pm Saturday
- Conditions in the house were the subject of a newspaper exposé in early January*
- Tenants believed they would have until April to find new homes and were shocked to discover they had to leave so quickly
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) representatives called to the house on Friday evening to offer support and have since been assisting the group and advocating on their behalf.
MRCI Director Edel McGinley said,
“We are relieved that the court recognised the dire situation the tenants found themselves in and granted them this vital reprieve.
“Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council essentially made these people homeless as a consequence of the case taken against their landlord. In the midst of a housing crisis, the rights of tenants should be at the heart of every decision. While it is vital to clamp down on unscrupulous landlords, the impact on their tenants must be taken into account and actions taken to ensure tenants do not end up homeless.
“Last Friday, there were 36 people still living in The Pines. Among the tenants are restaurant staff and preschool teachers, workers and students from all over the world. Despite the unacceptable conditions of their accommodation, they had formed a strong community, and have been supporting each other through this stressful and upsetting time.
“The past few days have been deeply distressing for the tenants, who are understandably fearful of ending up on the streets.”
Aubrey O’Keeffe of the South Dublin Housing Network added, “This is not an isolated case: across the country, and especially around Dublin, there are many other cases of overcrowding and appalling housing conditions. Landlords must be held to account, and their tenants must be protected.”
ENDS
Contact: Aoife Murphy communications@mrci.ie
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland has been supporting the tenants since Friday along with members of the South Dublin Housing Network.
*Original exposé of conditions in the house: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/exclusive-undercover-probe-exposes-property-firm-overcrowding-houses-with-up-to-70-people-house-could-have-burned-to-the-ground-35291528.html
