A virtual town hall meeting organised by Uplift in association with author and Maynooth University lecturer, Rory Hearne, and Galway founded housing festival group, Féile Housing, will take place on April 13 at 7pm.
Following the end of the national eviction ban on March 31, the discussion surrounding the ever worsening housing emergency has been a focus point over the last week with many struggling to find housing, deal with being evicted and unsure of what to do next. The virtual town hall meeting aims to bring together people directly affected by the housing crisis, housing experts and politicians in Galway West in hopes to generate a ‘push for action’ that will keep people in their homes.
The event, inspired by an episode of Reboot Republic live podcast, is hosted by Hearne and a panel of guests including, John O’Haire of Focus Ireland, Siobhan O’Donghue of Uplift, Aoife Kelly Desmond of Mercy Law Centre, Aidan Farrelly a lecturer/researcher in Maynooth University, Aoife Welby from Féile Housing, Laoise Neylon of the Dublin Inquirer and Rebecca O’Riordan who shares her family’s story of facing eviction and immigration.
Some quotes taken from the podcast reflect the experiences and lives of people in Galway and across the country and inspired the virtual town hall meeting.
Rebecca O’Riordan explained that emigration is becoming an ever looming option for her family.
“We moved back here from London when I was due my eldest, because we felt London wasn’t the best place to bring up our kids. But we’re 10 years trying to get out from under this pile of treacle. We’re one of the lucky ones, we have work, we have the option to emigrate. But I’m just wondering why we are pushing to stay in a country that clearly doesn’t want us?”
John O’Haire of Focus Ireland said, “It’s the kids in your local school, all of a sudden being moved to a new school, new friends, new teachers, new everything, and that happening again, month after month. The guards haven’t the capacity to handle it either, no one does.”
“It’s overwhelming the amount of vulnerable people coming to us following a refusal to be provided emergency accommodation. Complex cases are being asked to look at all other options, because capacity is so tight. People with mental health issues and other complex issues cannot be catered for,” said Aoife Kelly Desmond who is a managing solicitor at the Mercy Law Centre.
Siobhan O’Donoghue of Uplift said that the demographic currently dealing with evictions include people off all walks of life.
“On the evictions map, there’s 250 plus stories on there, and there’s everyone, families with kids, people working, people with disabilities, immigrants coming to live here with nowhere to go, young people feeling like they’ll have to leave, a Leaving Cert student studying as their parents face the ban. The full context of people’s lives is being ignored.”
Following the success of the Galway Féile Housing Festival last month, the event is going on tour stopping in Ennis on April 22. To learn more visit @feilehousing2023 on Instagram.
To attend the virtual town meeting for the Galway West constituency on Thursday, April 13 at 7pm, register your interest on the Uplift website (uplift.ie ) by searching ‘keep people in their homes town hall meeting galway’.
