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“WE WANT TO send the government a clear message.”
Thousands of people are expected to gather in Dublin City Centre this afternoon to participate in the latest demonstration over Ireland’s housing crisis.
Since the summer, the country has seen an increase in activists raising awareness over housing issues, as the rental crisis in Ireland deepens and homelessness continues to increase.
Over the past number of months, Take Back The City (TBTC) held numerous protests in Dublin city centre, alongside a range of occupations of properties in the north inner city.
The National Homeless and Housing Coalition (NHHC), which is made up of trade unions, politicians and campaign groups, made headlines in October, after holding the Raise the Roof rally in Dublin city centre alongside a number of other campaign groups, which saw thousands take to the streets.
Two weeks ago, it held a day of action in which it called on local grassroots groups around the country to highlight the crisis ahead of today.
A demonstration is due to kick off at the Garden of Remembrance at 2pm today with the aim of putting pressure on the government to take further action in tackling the housing crisis.
“It’s a reminder to the government that we’re not going away,” NHHC co-chairperson Tina McVeigh told TheJournal.ie.
She added that the group wishes to remind the government of “what our demands are”.
NHHC is calling on the government to implement legislation immediately that would make it illegal to evict people into homelessness. It’s also calling for the investment into capital funding for the construction of public housing.
“We think if the government at least embarked on those two demands then we would begin to see some shift in the flow into homelessness,” McVeigh said.
Thousands of people gathered outside the Dáil on 3 October for the Raise the Roof rally.
Today, McVeigh hopes to see a similar, if not larger, turnout.
“We’re expecting a huge crowd. We’re seeing more and more groups all the time approaching us. We’re hoping to see a real mixture of the different regions and different people and groups that are affected,” McVeigh said.
It’s really important that we continue to grow the mass grassroots movement on housing. It’s really important that people come out. It’s really, really important.
Figures released earlier this week show that there were 9,724 people living in emergency accommodation during the period recorded in October.
Commenting on the figures, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy said that “there are still too many families and children experiencing this crisis”.
Noting that a further 70 families in Dublin exited emergency accommodation in October, Murphy said: “This is important progress for these families, but we still continue to face a serious challenge and we have to do more.
“Additional funding for family hubs and more social housing will help, and I continue to engage with the chief executives in the four Dublin local authorities to increase the number of successful outcomes in terms of preventing homelessness and moving families out of hotels.”
Why today?
The Raise the Roof rally in October was held to coincide with a debate in the Dáil on a private members bill on housing drafted and signed by 47 TDs from Sinn Féin, People Before Profit, Solidarity, Social Democrats, Labour, the Green Party, Independents4Change and others.
The protest today is being held to mark the anniversary of Jonathan Corrie.
The body of 43-year-old Jonathan Corrie was found in a Dublin doorway on 1 December 2014. His death sparked an increase in action from housing activists around the country.
“If you remember back to four years ago and within that time, in those four years, homelessness trebled,” McVeigh said.
“The thing that was very, very important about Jonathan’s death, all death’s are important … but his particularly resonated with people because he died a number of metres away from the gates of Dáil Éireann,” she said.
Criticising government policies regarding housing since Corrie’s death, and the latest Budget, McVeigh said: “This is a government policy-led crisis, it’s not a natural disaster. This didn’t happen by accident, it is no accident.
We want to send the government a clear message and a reminder that we reject the landlord’s Budget. We don’t agree with your policy.
“We’re coming back out onto the streets on the anniversary of Jonathan Corrie’s death to remind them that this is not working.”
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SF, PBP, SocDems, I4C and other left candidates can EASILY make up the 80+ seats required in tomorrows vote. All it takes a bit of effort on our part, to get to the polling station and help make it happen
It’s an hour or so of your time, once every 4-5 years, and it can make all of the difference. Left leaning candidates are at the coalface relentlessly campaigning, marching and protesting for the issues that matter to us all. Now IT’S OUR TURN to step up and do our part.
Look left tomorrow, change everything. Vote straight left and left leaning candidates all the way FTW!
@The Risen: In all seriousness, whatever your thoughts are on the current situation, do you really see that many fragmented parties, rag tag groups and independents coming together to form a cohesive government? Not a hope.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: They ran under the right2change policy platform in 2016 for the most part, so yes.
@The Risen: and how is that singular policy platform going? Did everyone stick to it? Doesn’t fill me with confidence regarding a cohesive government. The first item on the agenda for most left wing parties is how they need to split into fragments so that everyone can be appeased.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Who are you voting for yourself?
@The Risen: Deflect, Distract, Deny, that’s how it goes, isn’t it? Maybe we can all get behind Gemma – you told us she was standing for change too.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Nice rant. So, who are you voting for yourself?
@The Risen: hahahaha here we go again
@The Risen: No ranting here. I look forward to voting for the candidates in my constituency that I feel will deliver the most at both a local and national level. Unlike some people on here I’m not a member of a political party, nor do I adhere to the sort of tribalism and ‘us vs them’ mentality that sadly seems to be taking over. My original comment was that I fail to see how 80+ TDs from a broad spectrum of parties who have little in common except that they see themselves as ‘anti-establishment’ could ever get it together to form a stable government, and somehow we’ve ended up with tribalism again as people try to pigeonhole others so that they can arrange their muck appropriately.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Yeah, still haven’t told us who you’re voting for tomorrow though, did you?
I’m voting 1. PBP 2+3 SF $ Left independent, with my other preferences going to left leaning candidates.
So, who are you voting for yourself?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: yea, who are u voting for. haha
@We Love Katamari: All of these blank twitter profiles used by the party hacks don’t have a leg to stand on. If they admit they’re voting FF they can’t open their mouths about what the left would do to the economy, if they admit that they vote FG they can’t open their mouths on the lefts housing policy, health policy and so on. They’re all mouth.
@The Risen: Not a member of a party, not employed by one, bot everyone who has the audacity to question you is a paid FF/FG shill, but don’t let that get in the way of the ‘which side are you on’, ‘who do you work for’ style of interrogation – it’s common with certain political parties, after all.
My criticisms here have nothing to do with economic or health policies, and everything to do with the ability to form a cohesive and aligned government. I suggest worrying less about who I’m voting for and more for whether or not the utopia you’re predicting has a chance of ever becoming a reality. Why not play the ball?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Very good. So, who do you vote for yourself??
@The Risen: in fairness look forward to my vote for FG tomorrow , would much prefer a party that knows what they are at, imagine the alternative SF, greens, like no thanks. But I’ll give it to you, living in dream land must be fun..thinking we will change ha
@The Risen: Still unwilling (or unable) to debate the matter at hand? No worries fella, take it easy.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: uv all the answers for why not to vote left but too embarassed to say who ur voting for. clown
@OnlyHereForTheComments: You realise that every time you reply without revealing who you’re voting for, you’re just highlighting my point, no?
So, who do you vote for yourself?
@The Risen: There’s a point?!
@We Love Katamari: Hello, welcome to the discussion. Who I’m voting for, and who you’re voting for, and who the risen is voting for, has precisely zero bearing on the ability of a group of 80+ broadly individual TDs to form a cohesive government. Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: In all fairness, the risens leading you around by the nose. He’s done it with a few commenters now. Mouthing out of ye about the left and SF but don’t have the stones to tell everybody who you will vote for. It’s comical. Voting Sinn Fein myself.
@The Risen: He won’t tell you who he’s voting for because of the shame of it and the fact that you’ll pick his thought process apart if he does. Lots of FFG courage on show in the comments section.
@Dermo Adams: If leading someone around by the nose means ignoring the original comment and changing the subject to something more appealing to them, then you’re absolutely right, he’s certainly done that. Except I’m not mouthing about the left or SF. I think they have *some* really excellent policies, and I never said I wouldn’t be voting for them. My original point still stands, despite the diversion tactics.
@The Risen: No chance. We don’t need welfare hoovers in government
@Conan Campbell: Thanks Keith Barry – impressive display of mind reading there. Hilarious seeing just how narked people are when you won’t give them what they want, and just how little they have to fall back on.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Must have missed you posting who you vote for yourself. Would you mind reposting please? :)
@The Risen: None of your business who he votes for, it’s a secret ballot. & theirs reasons for that. It’s for the ability to vote without one’s choices being revealed to others is considered an essential characteristic of legitimate democratic systems. The secret ballot helps protect voters from fear of intimidation or coercion.
Not that the Socialists parties would engage in such immoral practice? Blaring out Oh Ah up the RA in Cavan during the week, wouldn’t intimidate anyone would it?
@Dom Layzell: Just highlighting the fact that all of these new and nearly new empty twitter accounts posting anti SF and anti left muck can’t even stand by their own party affiliation because of the shameful state they’ve left the country in :)
@The Risen: Regardless, you have no evidence, and innocent until ……………. you know the rest yourself, you’re a Shinner!
But no one should have to explain who they vote for?
@Dom Layzell: As posted many times, I’m proudly giving Gino Kenny from PBP my number one vote. Do try to keep up…
@OnlyHereForTheComments: ming Flanagan campaigning for the greens, pbp, sf and marian harkin during this election campaign says a lot about populism and how it works.
I’m sorry but the FAI money is a bailout. Regardless of how you want to try define it, if you run an organisation into the ground and are at the point of bankruptcy, and the state gives you free money, it’s a bailout. Utterly disgraceful in the same week that some mental health services had a funding cut.
@D walsh: I have to agree 100% its a bailout, no, if’s, but’s or why’s. You are right.
And I hope the people that authorised the Taxpayers money, to be abused like this get their Just rewards tomorrow, and a kick in the ballot’s.
Don’t forget to vote tomorrow. The above article is riddled with Lies from both parties.
Vote Sinn Fein for more affordable public housing and rent.
I’m not putting one number beside a FF or FG candidate. 100 years of their bullshit is enough.
Ignore FG, ff, sf. We’ve seen how they are when in power here and in the north. Vote Left for real change.
@alan: and what left would that be? Labour? Hahaha the only thing left about them is the fact that they left us high and dry when they went into coalition with FG.
@Sam Greene: I was thinking of the larger parties. But you can add lab to that list.
“However separate figures from the World Bank and the European Commission estimate that Ireland is actually responsible for almost 0.1% of global emissions,”
So Ireland, a small windswept island in the North Atlantic, produces on tenth of the world’s CO2 emissions? Baloney. .
@Zak Martin: You think 0.1% equals one-tenth? It’s one-thousandth.
@Zak Martin: one tenth of one hundred… not 0.1 if 1.0 were the whole
@OnlyHereForTheComments:
https://answers.everydaycalculation.com/as-fraction/0.1
@OnlyHereForTheComments:
https://www.asafraction.com/number/0.1
@OnlyHereForTheComments:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Express+0.1+as+a+fraction&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b
@Zak Martin: thanks Zak. 0.1 represented as a fraction is indeed one-tenth. The trouble is that 0.1% is one-tenth of one percent, not one-tenth of everything.
@OnlyHereForTheComments:
The article claims that Ireland is the source of “almost 0.1% of global emissions”. That’s one tenth.
@Zak Martin: let’s say 1000 = 100%, that would make 100 = 10%, 10 = 1%, 1 = 0.1%, so 0.1% is one thousand of the number. You are mixing up fractions and percentages
@Jim Buckley Barrett: you can’t argue with stupid.
@Zak Martin: jasus, please stop now, take a night course in basic arithmetic
Fact check: Is the Irish electoral system being artificially manipulated? Yes, and while there is a quota system I’d urge people not to vote for any female candidates. Lesser candidates are taking the place of hard working male counterparts due to an unfair rule. Equality for all or equality for none!
Who hired you lads? :-)
47k? Take out civil servants and multi national wages and see what the average worker is on not the lucky few that get work in these areas!
47 k my bleedin hoop
The average worker is earning 47’000 – Mostly True.
Christine Bohan would you ever f**k off with your nonsense -
Vote SF
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