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FIVE HOMELESS FAMILIES who have been living in a Dublin city centre hotel have been told they have to leave the hotel by Saturday because it has gone into receivership.
The National Assets Management Agency (Nama) has placed receivers on Lynam’s Hotel on O’Connell Street. In the Dáil this evening, Thomas Pringle TD raised the plight of five families who have been staying there.
The TD says that Dublin City Council is “trying to get more time” for the families but that all the council can offer is “more of the same inadequate, insecure accommodation”.
The Donegal deputy described the situation for some of the homeless families staying there:
Annette, who is 26 years old, is staying in Lynam’s hotel with her 18-month-old daughter, Kayleigh. They were made homeless in March of this year and since then have been on the move between hotels and bed and breakfasts.
“This is completely inappropriate for a young child, as they live in a single room with no way of getting bottles heated or storing milk and the family is obliged to rely on fast food,” Pringle added.
He also outlined the case of a family of seven:
Anna, her husband and five children have been living in separate rooms in Lynam’s Hotel and when schools are open, she must bring her kids back out to Dublin 15 each morning to attend school.
The deputy says that the lives of these families are “destroyed” and that they are “living hour to hour with very little information”.
Pringle said that the families need “some form of secure accommodation” and suggested to Minister of State Damien English that the government intervene to direct the receiver, who is acting on behalf on Nama, to lease the building to Dublin City Council.
In response, the junior minister English said that the situation as described by the deputy is an example of the kind of situation the government is seeking to avoid with its new housing plan.
“One of the many objectives of the government’s new action plan for housing and homelessness launched earlier this week is that by mid-2017 hotels will only be used for emergency accommodation in very limited circumstances and not at all, if possible,” he said.
English said that Pringle’s suggestion that the council should lease the hotel ‘has logic’ and added that he will discuss it with officials this evening.
A rally in support of the families is being planned for tomorrow.
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what I cant understand is why oh why oh why would people not opt to move out of Dublin. they could get a house in the country, or near the beach, or forest, or anyway really thets better, they get a whole house …that is so much better for their kids and families..nowhere is Ireland is more than 3.5 hours away, we are nearly too close
Jenni, a lot of people just cant up and move as easily as you suggest. Children are in schools, a lof of country properties are a long way from towns and shops,you may not be aware but local public transport outside Dublin is just non-existent, you can catch long distance coaches but local buses are just not there. Surgeries are miles away quite often too.
Gus there’s probably a positive response to all of your points. Schools in the country, for instance, are probably more wholesome and enjoyable for kids than schools in the inner city.
Totally.
Seriously Jenni nowhere in Ireland is more than 3.5 hours away are you kidding or just not good at geography. Moving out the country is probably not feasible for many of these people who have no transport to move to areas not serviced by public transport. I live well down the country and there is also a major shortage of rental properties and I know people 10 years on the council waiting list. The problem of housing is not exclusive to Dublin it’s a national issue.
Im going to get lambasted for saying it, but there is a substantial number of people and families entering the homeless offices in the various councils because they think that they’ll get their free social house quicker as a result. They don’t want to leave Dublin, and they’re not prepared to do much else about it.
Only last week a number of newspapers covered the story.
But it goes against the lefty thinkers and liberal views.
A bus leaves my nearest village to go to Cork at 9:35am, it arrives back at 3:15pm….and that’s it for the whole day. No use for work….that’s why I have a car. Without the car…there is no shopping, going to doctors, out to movies or meals, visiting relatives, etc…………think about that.
I agree with you Throway
Gus , you either want a home for your kids or you don’t ..
codswollop..we have fully civilised and serviced villages, towns and cities outside of Dublin gus. to suggest otherwise is foolish. we have buses. there are plenty of childcare facilities or child minders from home. we have jobs too.and amazingly we have schools. with proper class sizes and whatsmore WE HAVE HOUSES TO PUT THESE PEOPLE IN! its not all about dublin..and everyone cannot live in dublin..its unsustainable.
I couldn’t afford rent or to buy in Dublin. I don’t qualify fur social housing.I left and moved west. My kids moved school. My husband got a different job. We have more money now with only one wage then we did in Dublin with 2. The doc surgery is 10k away. My parents live an hour away, rest of family in Dublin. It’s not a problem. I love living here, great community support in country and schools are brilliant. If you’ve no job and can’t afford to live in the capital then changes are needed and are easily made.
All Ca, I don’t think others were implying moving to a small village, I think they meant moving to a medium/big town outside Dublin.
Very true .. Al Ca
Well said Lorna..what county?
and thats why you have a car Al. and if all these people moved out of Dublin and took the offer of social housing they would also be able to afford a car.
OK…Colonel…but Jenni doesn’t think so ^^
It’s clearly not feasible to live in Dublin either.
lorna..well done, if only you could get your story across to everyone.
Fully serviced villages jenni? Seriously? Not much point in putting people in houses if they cannot access any services…..
Jenni , where I live there is no bus service . Without my car I would be screwed .. even in our nearest ‘ village ‘ there’s no bus services .
Many,many people in the country can “access services” only by driving,cycling,walking or hitching to them.its a bit hit and miss but you get used to it…still its worth it.Suzi Sunshine wouldnt go back.
but Suzie..you can afford your car, becaise you dont live in the most overpriced city in Europe. we are offering housing 50-100km away from where people are losing their houses- and they are saying NO. why?
Mayo. I like Dublin but i can’t imagine living anywhere else now. Homeless people are individual cases and obvs moving isn’t an answer for everyone given most employment is in our around a city but people need to look at options available rather then I’m from Dublin so I’m.living there regardless.
What about those who can’t drive, to head out to the country sounds great but with no real public transport or cars & lessons, how are these people to go about day to day life?
Jenni..because most townies cant face a life without their friends/cousins/grannies/brothers etc etc etc being only 2 minutes away by double decker bus or taxi…
lorna – mayo is beautiful. I hope you enjoy it, and your kids are growing up in a great part of the country.
Lorna…well chosen..Mayo is a wonderful county…great natives..great history..loads to see and do.different world.
Jenni , l did it and got out , so I do know what you’re saying and Peter is right .. I’d never go back andvir was the best thing I’ve ever done .
you get lessons, do your test and when you pass you go and drive and see the countryside. why else would you come to see a foreign country?
orela
Many Dubliners would rather emigrate to London than live in another part of the country, it’s a bizarre sub-culture.
Orela…theres country and theres country….you can live within cycling/walking distance of the N4/N6 for example..both frequent bus corridors/routes spanning about 12-14 counties.
so let them go so..far away hills always look greener. off with them. the problem is sometimes we are a little too soft here..people who get something for nothing should have enough respect and gratitude to say thank you. but they argue and bitch and demand and argue until they get their way. well enough. i’ve had enough.
Could people think before they procreate. If you cant support them dont have them, 5 kids? Why should the working taxpayer to cough up for your life choices.
Sis..i didnt know you were posting at the same time as i was posting your name….i feel quite at home here..sure the natives are totally unspoiled and yesterday was Africa day at the beach…
The ceide fields,bellacorick bog,achill island,belmullet,blacksod….of course you like Dublin.
Rochelle…we agree on something?
* it*
I left Dublin 17yrs ago, my company has offices in Dublin Cork and Limerick, so leaving was easy for me….same job…different place. The reason I left was because I wanted to live in the countryside but house prices were staring to rise and €140,000 for a house on a half acre in Kildare which I thought was too much at the time and didn’t feel like working for the bank. So…I moved to Cork to a much bigger house on more land for €90,000 and ended up with more disposable income. I live two miles outside the nearest village…which has council housing. I can see that there are people there that never work and have no car…..they are trapped and their children are too. I do not begrudge them their council house or life style…..it makes no difference to me…they are victims of change, agri is more mechanised today, so less employment and many of the shops in the village have closed during the downturn. The village is slowly dying, even since I came here I can see the change. Most of the young adults will leave and head to Cork, Limerick or even Dublin for college.
Would I like to see these people in hostels or hotels or homeless?……no I would not. I’m not that petty to wish more hardship on people just for a few more quid in my wage packet. I don’t want to be stepping over people on the street.
Bro , lol no bother .. I didn’t even know that it was Africa day yesterday! Spent a bit of time in Fenit yesterday. . Nice spot too .
Is this aimed at me? Coz I don’t get your point!? Mayo is fab, I feel totally at home here and we’re never stuck for things to do but that doesnt mean I don’t also like Dublin! There’s so many great places to live in Ireland, i just wish people would think outside of council houses and actually risk making a better life for yourself. If you’re homeless then at least explore all options rather then think you’re on a set path in a set location, you’ve nothing to loose is my opinion.
Sis…is your car the 92 KY Sierra i see rippin around ?
al..you make a massive valid point. and it needs to be followed up on.
Bro.. lol nope .. I’ve a D reg .. of course ..
apart from expensive private schools, what quality of life would you get, or need, for your children living on O’Connell Street? while there are advantages for the mothers to be close to their family, long term the best thing for any kids is to get out of that environment. For instance, belmullet has a much higher college going rate than (i.e.) sheriff street, and the quality of life from community to enjoyment is much higher than living in a dive in the middle of the city.
Lorna..sorry..yes Mayo IS fab…one of my favourite counties…go anywhere in the world and you will meet people with Mayo connections..huge diaspora….im a country mullah meself..enjoy your new life and keep posting your observations.
lorna, sometimes the messages get mixed up, depending on what device you have. Nobody had anything but praise for you making such a brave move. Dont worry, if they had something to say they would have called you on it. you seem to have found happiness and we all wish you more. ( if you stay online long enough, you’ll see how we argue as well).
I tend not to comment on the journal bec it seems to always end in arguments so I’m prob in defensive mode! Thanks for kind words though I honestly can’t say it was brave I just couldn’t bear the feeling that rent in Dublin took my entire wage before I even paid a bill or bought food! It was an easy choice to move to be honest and the relief on us all is great. We’re lucky that a job was available here though, more need to be created outside the cities.
Yeah…noticed a lot of 12-15 D saloons around alright…thought they were NAMA dudes lookin for bargains…ive an 05 so everyone salutes me cos im ordinary salt of the earth…
Everyone can learn to drive.
It’s not rocket surgery
To be fair learning isn’t the issue, it’s the cost. I’ve a 2003 Toyota, full licence driving 6 years. My insurance is third party no fire, no theft. €540. I need new tires, car also needs a service. Petrol. Car tax €360ish a year. I only learned to drive here bec I had to, but it is expensive when there’s no other options.
You would be better off in a hotel ;)
Insurance and new tyres in Mayo? AND a service? ….is that strictly necessary…?
Yeah prob not to be fair but all these 100k boreens have me nervous. I like my car to have decent shoes!
Iol .. I’ve an 08 D reg ..on its last legs now I’d say !
Posh…08…have you learned how to do the wave yet? As you take turns to pull in? Or flash your lights to invite/say thanks? Its so different isnt it….anyway im off back to civilisation saturday.
That was the bit I had to get used to .. the wave . You must always wave to every car that passes .. then you go back up to Dublin and you must remember not to do that because people will think you’re a weirdo .. oh and cow jams ! . Hope the forecast improves the next few days for us ..
@gus. I take ur points – but better to live in rural Ireland than a s whole of a 1bed hotel. This country is fu(ked 4 every1. U can be a nurse, a garda – a once good profession – where u could buy a home on ur own. Now u cannot buy it jointly. What a Society we have allowed ourselves become. We home foreigners before our own. We allow our Eu ‘partners’ dictate to us. We have no-one to lead us – Not a Stateman or Woman within our ranks. We ave a paddywhackery so called Taoiseach for yrs – his manner yesterday at rolling out his tongue for a failed Hollande was embarrassing. Many people in Europe are totally dissatisfied – They ave left us open for another Hitler – because of being servants to Goldman Sachs & their like.
@jenni. Ahhhh Christ. I love that word UNSUSTAINABLE – What about UNVIABLE – SUSTAINABILITY. OHHH God Jenni you sound like a bulls*it politician.
@peter fechter – Are you serious. Culchies esp. in Mayo would never accept a Dub. “Loads to see’ – are u 4 teal, ya redneck, Mayo self promoting Board Failteite. Thick as fu(k but a cute hoare.
@shawn. Many open their legs, think of Ireland & ‘the free gaf’ – They don’t bother getting support from the Father & in a lot of cases THE FATHERS. Hoare Ireland inc. thats what we are allowing ourselves to become. FU(K EM.
the egos of the scrounger class has reached epic proportions
Gus there are school buses in the country. And you cycle everywhere. I did it when I was a kid as did many more. This new homeless crap is just a ploy to get what they want for free in most cases. Which is council homes in Dublin beside their families.
This thread was doing so well till James turned up….
People had to learn to tie their shoes so surely they could learn to drive?
I think Jenni makes a valid point. What did our parents generation do to get a job in the 50′s and 60′s. They emigrated for a better life. I know it is a BIG ask to move down the country but its a whole lot better than living in a hotel and wrecking the heads of your children. Why not leave these people on the housing list while they see what its like to live in the countryside.
@marcus maher – I am not attacking the working class -if anything I’m sticking-up for the working class, who pay their taxes, pay for everything & get no support in return. Many workers are unable to afford a home while the Freeloaders get everything & constantly spout their supposed entitlement to a roof over their head. Many people working cannot even afford to have children. Time for Ireland to get real & rid people of their ‘Get a Free Gaff’ notions & schemes’.
Thanks Avina – I thought it was time to bring a bit of realisation to the ‘Get a Free Gaff’ brigade.
Have you any idea how difficult it is to get a child into a school place in a public school in Ireland?
Relocating with a family, a healthy bank balance, to an area where you know people and have family and a job lined up is difficult enough.
You can’t simply up sticks, espically as a low income family or unemployed, move to Ballysomewhere and expect that you’ll find places for your child or children. Even more difficult of they are mixed between Primary and Secondary. Even more if there are boys and girls schools, transport issues, and if you’ve a child with special needs you’re in even worse shape.
We decided to leave Dublin in June last year, kids started new school.in Sept. It has an autism unit and extra learning support for special needs kids in mainstream, ratio in these classes is 1 to 10 and most classes have 25 kids. My oldest is 4 years away from secondary so I asked about putting his name down in the 3 local secondary schools and was told no need, he can pick a school in 6 th class, there’s no waiting list currently. There is life outside Dublin and imo it’s a far easier life.
That was a long chat. Move to the country or live in a hotel room. Up to yourselves.
Cheryl, you “know people 10 years on the council waiting list” – in 10 years how have they not managed to change their circumstances and in turn their need for a free house?
@miriam o’keefe it’s become a way of life. I know that. You know that we all know that but some people can’t admit that to themselves so like to play the massive violin they have permensntly perched on their shoulder. All the while having Ruth Coppinger and the like reinforce the poor me its not my fault and I can’t do anything for meself brigade. I cant pay me waterbills i cant pay me bus fair for the free back to education course etc. Id love to ask them what did you think was going to happen when you started having kids? How did you plan to look after them?
Leinster House is empty
The “because the hotel is going into receivership” was omitted from the title by accident, was it?
Funny how we can’t build houses but when we have to give Europe money it just appears. Funny country we like in
listen, that coming from the €1 billion too much that revenue are taking from taxpayers that doesn’t need to be taken… but what we can do is phish it away rather than build permanent accommodation for all. with land available from nama (it is being wrote off to the vulture funds anyway), but costs would be only €75k per unit so the EU money from leprechaun economics noonan would only cover 4000 units per year. what do you think noonan and the depot of finance will do… explain that the gdp figures are codswallop, or happily hand it over without question?
Alien 8, Don’t be talking about the elephant in the room,do you not know Noonan has to look out for his fellow bondholders.
If this kind of treatment was being meted out to asylum seekers in their hotels there would be uproar…pavee point,migrants rights,refugee council and all those other advocate groups would bring Kildare street to a halt their march would be so big if the “new Irish” were thrown around like this….it wouldnt happen obviously because of the secrecy and profits in direct provision.
Direct provision is better than this crap…by far…seriously.
Shame to see another hotel go under. Good central place for anyone visiting on a budget. Sorry for the families too. Still, how about a story on the hotel too? How are the staff and owners going to manage – are they to join the waiting list and end up in B&Bs as well?
scroungers always take precedence over working people
Not a toss given about the hard working employees of Lynam’s Hotel out of a job. As long as those in the free rooms get sorted. Take care would they consider moving out of Dublin where living becomes a lot more affordable. A whole generation found work abroad in the last decade rather then demand their entitlements.
That’s what I find strange, no mention of the workers who are now out of jobs?!
Miserable and horrible. It shames us.
I’ve seen friends end up in a rubber room from the stress of bosses who bullied them. People who fought for their sanity to keep a roof over their families heads and paid half their wages for spongers to sit around and drink cans of dutch gold in their front garden. All the while their spawn make the lives of tax payers a misery. I’ll save my sympathy for the working poor, thank you.
You know sympathy isn’t a limited resource right?
You know you always end your statement with the word ..”right”..right.
Dave isn’t he brightest lad
his spelling is better though
Government are on holiday till September. Well for some
More media spin…. More often then not the new homeless are putting themselves into that position to ahead of others on social housing lists… Get a job and fend for yourselves… I’m getting very tired of working half my day everyday to pay for this mess …
Get a job, get a job , get a job…. get a job , get a job, get a jooob. Get a job , get a job , get a job, get a job, GET a job. Life is hard work, get a job like the rest of us and stop sponging.
The country is in a recession. Even the folk working there need a job now. Jobs are a tad scarce.
#bangsheadagainstwall
And by the way, I am working. Have been for the last decade and more, was less than two years on the dole since I left school twenty years ago, and I pay my taxes to pay social welfare for folk who need it, not to bail banks, to pay nurses and teachers wages, not overpaid managers and multiple grades of managers and undermanagers.
AND I want homeless families looked after.
Id like to see the Land Comission brought back to solve the housing crisis (http://www.facebook.com/newirishlandcommission has more details) but in the interm I want maximum resources used to keep families off the streets.
Hotels should change their regimes to make it more home friendly – such as leaving a change of sheets when the families request as opposed to regimental chaging every morning, allow people to sleep in if they want, and make play areas for the children.
There are hundreds if thousands of spongers Laughing at us because they have no intention of ever working whether there is jobs out there or not
im certainly laughing at you, but not for that reason
Cheap story if you ask me. Glorified headline. It’s disgraceful that people have to live in hotels but these people will be looked after and will the journal be back to tell us.
No but we’ll just see the cost of their sponging in our Pay packet next week.
If yr homeless and given shelter or a house anywhere in ireland..take it or go homeless. .
And I thought there was a shortage of hotels
It’s all well and good to say move out of Dublin but the housing crisis is not just in Dublin. Of course people should consider it as an option where possible but there’s not a lot of rental property in most towns/cities and villages. That is the reality and of that which is available many won’t take people on rent allowance or are looking for massive rent.
coming from somebody who doesn’t know the travel time from one side of the country to the other.
I’d love to live in a hotel
Really? are you serious. I work all over the world and you know what, there is nothing like your own little bit of independence to cook and to clean up yourself and to have an actual home. don’t be so flippant.
Jackson, no you wouldn’t.
@jenni I’m Irish just because my name is polish doesn’t make me polish so it’s not a “foreign “country to me. I work but I can’t afford a car,insurance,tax petrol etc. I work to pay my mortgage & bills. With driving lessons being approx €350 it’s just not possible to do for me. I live pay check to pay check. That’s why I live in a town.
@LornaDempsey that’s my problem,I work to pay our mortgage and bills ,having a car is just not doable.
@ Peter Fechter fair point
We have taken care of every other nation coming into this Country while our own sleep in the streets the Government should be ashamed of their lives as they go on a over extended holiday from the Dail and the Country in a shambles
Typo above Ronan. It says she has five kids. Surely nobody’s selfish enough to bring that many kids into a situation where they can’t afford them. Or did her partner lose his job as a brain surgeon?
NAMA now owns the hotel. The government owns NAMA. The people are there because of the government policy, but have to leave because another arm of the government wants to shit down the hotel?
Why not put the extra rooms normally rented to guests to homeless families too, and turn it into apartments?
One of the few good things Fianna Fáil did in government was make it a condition for planning for new hotels that rooms can be ran into each other to be made into apartments if the hotel fails, so there is not a blight of empty hotels.
Why is this not done?
Any particular reason why they can’t relocate outside of Dublin?
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