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JOURNALISTS, CAMERA CREWS, activists and politicians gathered outside a car park in Dublin this afternoon, looking through a set of closed blue gates.
Behind the gates, up a ramp and inside the 10-storey Apollo House – which looks out over Tara Street in Dublin’s south inner city – a group of five or so homeless people had spent the night.
They had been led there late last night by a band of activists, campaigners, poets and actors, as well as well-known musicians, such as Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey.
A Facebook Live video taken after some of the group had broken into the building by actor and activist John Connors shows Damien Dempsey being joined by a big group in a powerful rendition of the Foggy Dew, providing a revolutionary score to the occupation.
Well-known personality Mattress Mick even donated 30 mattresses to the cause.
This morning, a number of media outlets (including TheJournal.ie) were quick to cover the powerful, resonant story.
By this afternoon when the journalists descended, the celebrities had all gone, leaving behind the activists and the homeless people to deal with the specifics.
“The hope for here is to create a home for homeless people,” Dean Scurry, one of the main people involved with the occupation, told reporters outside the building.
“They’re lined up here in a bed with a blanket over them… they won’t die from the cold,” he said.
Dean Scurry is one of the members of Home Sweet Home – the group central to the occupation - which seems to have sprung up literally over night, but is in fact the result of weeks of careful planning.
T-shirts with the group’s logo hung from railings outside the building on Poolbeg Street today, and the group has a dedicated website and social media channels, as well some slickly-produced promotional videos.
The group is closely linked to the Mandate trade union and was co-founded by Brendan Ogle who has been an instrumental driving force behind the Right2Water and Right2Change campaigns.
It is supported by the People Before Profit political party, whose TDs Brid Smith and Richard Boyd Barrett were also on Poolbeg Street this afternoon.
“This is direct action in dealing with the crisis,” said Smith.
And fair play to the people that have organised it and the volunteers who have maintained it. It’s a great example of the answer to the corporate takeover of our world.
Irish Housing Network
The other group at the centre of the occupation is the Irish Housing Network, a broad collection of different far-left grassroots housing organisations.
Many of the organisations formed separately over the past number of years as a direct response to Ireland’s worsening housing crisis, before coming together to pursue a common goal.
They have been at the centre of various high-profile “occupations” over the past year or so, and are well-organised and media savvy.
The IHN was behind the Bolt Hostel takeover in the summer of 2015; and the Lynam’s Hotel occupation this summer, among others.
Speaking to reporters on Poolbeg Street this afternoon, spokesperson for the IHN Rosi Leonard said the plan for Apollo House was to eventually house 30 homeless adults there.
There has also been a callout for volunteers in all types of roles – including legal advice, counselling supports and others.
The idea is to turn Apollo House – which is due to be demolished – into supported long term accommodation for the homeless.
A number of extra beds have already been opened by Dublin City Council in the city centre as part of the Winter Initiative. Speaking to TheJournal.ie this morning, Leonard labelled the Initiative “ridiculous”.
“The homeless crisis doesn’t end once the winter is over,” she said.
Health and safety
The move is not supported by the leading homeless charities in Ireland – Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust and others are keeping quiet on the matter.
Speaking this afternoon on RTÉ’s News at One, Sam McGuinness, CEO of the Dublin Simon Community, said that he had been giving advice to the activists (but stressed that Dublin Simon was not involved).
“It will certainly be more secure than sleeping in a doorway or sleeping in tents in the parks, or sleeping in cardboard some other place,” he said.
Some sources within the homeless charity sector have been less enthusiastic, citing the serious health and safety concerns the occupation could pose without properly-trained staff present.
Meanwhile, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive – which manages homeless services for the four Dublin local authorities – is keeping schtum on the whole matter, and has said that it will not be commenting.
The gardaí also said that they assessed the situation last night. They are liaising with the occupiers but have made no attempt to evict them.
NAMA said in a statement that it does not own Apollo House.
“Any issues arising are for the receiver of the building not NAMA,” a spokesperson said.
With the building in private ownership and scheduled for demolition, it is unclear how long the protesters will be able to remain.
The latest rough sleeper count for Dublin found 142 people sleeping rough in the city centre. There have since been an extra 145 beds opened, with the Housing Department saying that there will be “a bed for anyone who want one” this Christmas.
However, McGuinness said that the beds are nearing capacity already, and the latest Simon rough sleeper count found over 100 homeless people still sleeping rough.
The IHN, Home Sweet Home, and the various activists and big-name celebrities associated with their cause clearly believe there is a need and are taking direct action in relation to homelessness.
Occupations have sprung up and fizzled out over the past year, but with the time of year that’s in it, and the big names behind it, this one could have staying power
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Fair play, good to see people from all walks of life giving people less fortunate a break.
Good stuff. Something had to give and it has happened in a peaceful and organised manner. Best wishes to the new residents for a safe and secure stay.
Brendan “80-grand-a-year” Ogle is involved?
Enough said.
Well done to everyone involved, good to see people leading by example, no time for commissions of inquiry etc. Just get in there and deal with the problem!
Do you really care who is involved with helping to take rough sleepers off the street and putting them into secure and safe homes over Christmas and beyond? If you do, ‘enough said.’
@David Murphey:
80 grand a year?
Well worth every penny of it……………and more. Brendan Ogle has turned the country on its head and invested real meaning back into the concept of a republic.
The establishment have no answer to this man.
James Connolly smiles in his grave every time Brendan Ogle opens his mouth on social issues.
@David Murphey: and how much is the minister for housing on silly remark you have made
Only 80 k ?
Brendan Ogle is a thorn in the establishments side. You can tell that by the negative feedback he gets here from fans of the political elite who have destroyed this country. If the politicians did what they were elected to do nobody would have ever heard of Mr Ogle. Hopefully now the FF/FG party will be sufficiently embarrassed enough to do something about this appalling homeless problem that they have created.
this was the department of health ??
how was it NAMA ed ??
have the government rented this building all a long ?? what a waste of money. i wonder who owned it, some friend of a politician ???
No thats the green building in the background in one of the pics
They paid rent on some buildings 10 years in advance and loads were never even used
I think it was Dept of Social Protection.
Trespassers. The lot of them.
Thugs and Criminals
I believe the adjacent dept. of health at Hawkins House is scheduled for demolition and redevelopment too. Good thing too they’re an eyesore and decrepit almost to the point of being non-functional as office space.
You can’t apply the residential logic that renting is a waste. Residential and commercial property economics are completely different. Most commercial property is leasehold and not freehold anyway. So regardless if they own the leasehold themselves or sub-lease it from an owner they’re still leasing.
@AntiTreeHugger: It Thugs and Criminals like you that has this country the way it is.
Well done to every one behind this. I wish every one behind this a HAPPY CHRISTMAS
@AntiTreeHugger: good trolling
Good to see a building owned by the public through NAMA actually being used for the good of those with less than most.
It is not owed by NAMA says so in this article and every press comment since 9 this morning. Private ownership.
@Clare Maurer: NAMA said “Any issues arising are for the receiver” who appointed the receiver?
It has been appointed to a receiver by nama, they still own it but the receiver is responsible for it.
Warmed the heart reading about this today. Gave me icy shivers reading and hearing the cynical feedback.
Well done to all those involved true patriots unlike the criminals in Leinster house.
Well done,shame on this farce of a government.we need more Irish stars,celebrities,to support the Irish people,we have taken enough.
Great to see people power!! Fact check on how many properties our politicians own! Except Regina Doherty as they would have been taken off her by now after she left hundreds of thousands of debt destroying small businesses,before kenny made her chief whip!
Well done to all involved. #homesweethome
Cianan , could you look into the salaries of those other groups who are staying quiet.
I’ve seen some figures on social media.
Staying quiet because they know these will be removed soon and its an accident waiting to happen.
And the amounts they received or receive from The Irish Government on our behalf.
For the benefit of The Homeless.
Apologies Cormac , I called you Cianan
@Paul: Providing a place to sleep for those homeless is “an accident waiting to happen” Really Paul please enlighten me on how an empty building owned by the Irish tax payer through NAMA being used to house the homeless is an accident waiting to happen?
Kerry are you really that stupid?
@Paul: So an insult rather than answering the question. Well done Paul.
Unfortunately Kerry, we are a Well and truly divided race. The “tut tut” brigade of sanctimonious self centred people who like to look down and scorn those less fortunate, and the ones capable of sympathy. At the end of the day we all go into the same ground and will be dinner to the same worms.
Agreed, it is a shame that ordinary people had to take this in hand while our elected elite sit back and try to get deals for their landlord friends and family. Elected by us and when I say us I mean them and when I say them I mean numbskulls. I didn’t vote for them, we need an election but soon to ensure that those numbskulls who voted for them still remember they are self serving degenerates.
Here’s the figures https://www.facebook.com/Laylitigation/posts/582255031976297:0
Since this is not in fact owned by Nama and so not publicly owned, any unoccupied, privately owned building is seen as fair game now? How long before it’s occupied buildings, then privately owned homes? Some people already seem to think landlords have a moral obligation to house people at a financial loss to themselves. Who cares if the landlords also have family to provide for. Or if it risks them and their family losing their homes. This shower eventually taking over any private property seems a logical progression. At least for them. I could support this if it was a temporary act of civil disobedience due to extreme circumstances, but it’s not. The plan is to permanently take possession of a privately owned building.
@Carol Oates: If it’s not owned by NAMA it’s odd they said the following “Any issues arising are for the receiver” wonder who appointed the receiver maybe NAMA?
It is not privately owned, it has a receiver appointed by Nama.
Kerry, NAMA issued a statement satung they don’t own the building. The article states the building is in private ownership with demolition on the cards. “Maybe” isn’t really good enough when talking about property because it sets a precedent for other property, for any property, being commandeered.
Now see all the red thumbs reveal themselves as brainless trolls lol. EVERYONE real supports this action
I can’t wait until Xmas and the New Year is over as I’ve a pain in my rear end reading and listening about homelessness. The Journal itself is preoccupied with it. And I guarantee come January all these so called ” celebs” will have disappeared. And Sr Stan and Christy Moore will be silent for another year. Xmas can’t all be about doom and gloom. Give us a bloody break.
People are fed up to their teeth with these politicians we need something better. We are in the biggest catastrophe since the FAMINE with homelessness and people sleeping rough on the streets. We have NAME giving property away too VULTURE FUNDS who then flip them with vulgar profits but they are registered as charities and pay no tax having not contributed 1 cent to a charity.
Problem with society, so long has passed since any real Great War or other event of suffering in the west you have no idea how good the times in which live are relative to history.
Fueled by nostalgia for for the good old days (which did not exist) and mass media headlines of crisis this, catastrophe that designed to sell papers and keep you deluded, you make outlandish statements like… biggest catastrophe since the famine.
Suggest you switch off your TV, power down your twitter/Facebook and get your ignorant self to a famine museum, archives or literature if you are deluded enough to think they are in any way comparable.
Why are we calling the homeless roughlsleepers now? They aren’t out camping on the streets for the craic!
People are fed up too their teeth with these politici
Can’t wait to see the settlement payments the owner or an insurance company is forced to make to the illegal residents when it either burns to the ground or a riot breaks out…
I really really needed a Christmas story like this ,having lost all faith in man kind this year especially.
its like dickens a christmas carol out there , if you can give someone a roof over their head when ITS EMPTY and someone is dying outside on the steps like the little match girl while there are thousands partying it makes me sick> well done to those doing this we could have no one sleeping rough over Christmas if this happened all over the country.
Reminds me of the statistics of all the ships laden with food leaving the ports in Ireland during the famine when people were dead everywhere from hunger eating grass.
I have a question how many people are staying there tonight
@Robert Beatty: if it’s only 1 it’s a success! Now go to bed.. nite nite
Integrity Ireland is 100% with this Apollo House project for four main reasons:
(i) No matter who ‘technically’ owns the property right now, it ultimately belongs to the Irish people who have bailed out reckless bankers and speculators to the tune of some 75 billion.
(ii) Morality comes before financial profit in any civilised society – and if we are to consider ourselves ‘civilised’ we need to put morality first – and the essential needs of others – which the Government is failing to do.
(iii) The Government (generally speaking) is in hoc to powerful corporations and vulture funds who have no care, concern or conscience as far as the plight of the homeless is concerned.
(iv) In face of the massive, persistent and chronic failures of the main political parties to act effectively, efficiently and in the interests of the public – it’s absolutely time for us to take the initiative – and it takes determined and resourceful souls to do that. So well done, Home Sweet Home!
If I had it my way, I would have Kenny, Fitzgerald, Burton, Loftus, Howlin and the rest scrubbing the floors in penance for a good few years yet..
Enlightenment … is a brilliant word. https://www.change.org/p/referendum-on-right2home-in-ireland
Infrastructure for a successful society:
- roads – delivered
- electricity grid – delivered
- telecomms network – delivered
- internet infrastructure – delivered
- food chain – works
- clothing supplies – works
- water network – delivered … some issue re funding method
- sewage system – delivered
- health system – d
- welfare system – d
- education system -d
- housing infrastructure – FAILED BADLY .. a very simple technology. A total failure for all groups in society (social, young, negative equity cohort, pensioners, bedsit group etc) … …. WHY?
Legal framework to support the basic need of “shelter” for citizens has failed. Obvious historical reasons for this state of affairs….
New legal definition required for homes (basic human need for shelter) not within the general def of property
Family Homes are not wealth .. no revenue stream
Family Homes are not assets .. cant liquidate , no where to live
Family homes are not property as in farm land(untaxed), offices, industrial buildings, pubs, shops etc
Family homes are a fundamental basic need i.e. shelter.
So amendment to Irish constitution like Germany has to reflect this to ensure ‘affordable on 1 income” homes are delivered for all citizens into the future. Status quo or sit-ins or fiddling around the edges is just not good enough. Adults urgently needed to step up to the plate.
Enlightenment is a brilliant word …… https://www.change.org/p/referendum-on-right2home-in-ireland
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