Ms Funke Tobun:

I am one of the 40 residents who got the eviction letter. With me today is Ms Gillian Murphy, one of the residents, and Mr. Charlie Cleary, a member of the community and the local GAA coach. The 40 members of the community got eviction letters starting on 9 February, and we set up the action group in March. Seeing those eviction letters was heartbreaking for every one of us. This is not about the tenant; it is about the community. We are a small community with multicultural residents. More than 120 people of different nationalities live in the community. It has been a very stressful time for me since I got the letter in February. Last year, the landlord increased the rent from €1,350 for a three-bedroom house to €1,450. I told him I would move out of the house, but we searched everywhere all of last year without finding one. It is very challenging. We have children who attend the local primary and secondary schools and play in the local football team. I have taken my son all around Dublin, with Mr. Cleary, to play GAA games. That is what our community is all about. All of us who got the eviction letter in February of this year are heartbroken. The wider community and the GAA club are supporting all of us in dealing with this stress. If the members want to know more about the vulture funds and the property owner, they can refer to appendix 1 of the presentation.

As members will know, Dublin 15, and Dublin west as a whole, is a black spot in the homelessness crisis. I was lucky to have been called to view a house, but we were one of 15 families with children who were viewing it. I have no chance of getting the house. One may have the money to rent a house but houses are not available. Getting a house in Dublin 15 is very difficult. This is an area with 8,000 properties to rent, but only about 50 properties in Dublin west alone are advertised on the Internet. Among those 50 houses, a one-bedroom house is €1,200 per month, and only two might be advertised, yet about 50 families are going to view the house. We do not have any chance at all in that regard. Two-bedroom houses are being advertised for €1,300 or €1,400 a month, but there are very few of those.

More than 6,000 people are on the council housing waiting list, some for the past eight and a half years. Many other people in the group have waiting more than ten years for a council house. In the past five years the council has not bought a single home in Dublin 15, which makes it very difficult for every one of us. We are appealing to the Government to find a solution to this problem and to rescue us from the hands of the vulture funds. It is Tyrrelstown today; we do not know which community will be next. We are talking about 40 families. This is our community. We have no place to go. I have made my home in Tyrrelstown. I call Ireland my home, so why should I be homeless? Why should I be evicted from my home? I have lived in Tyrrelstown for 13 and a half years, and I have lived in my current property for eight and a half years. I have made it a home.

We appeal to the members to consider our position and stand in our shoes so they can understand what we are going through. I am a mother of three children. I have a child with special needs who will start school in September. The school has already prepared a fund to provide resources to keep the boy in the school. Many other people in the area have children with special needs, and the school has the resources to deal with that. It will be heartbreaking for those children if they are thrown out of the community. We want the Government to acquire these units.

Every member of the group wants the site to be acquired and wants it to be bought. We want the Government to buy this unit and set it up as an affordable mortgage scheme with a low affordable mortgage rate to enable us to buy these houses and remain in our community. I pay €1,450 in rent for a three-bedroom house. There is no way that I will be able to raise €16,000 for the scheme the council has set up in which one takes a loan from the council to buy a house. As it is very difficult to be able to save up to €16,000 to buy a house, we are appealing to the committee to look into our condition. As members are aware, in November and December of 2015, the Department acquired 44 units in Waterville, Dublin 15, and it only cost €13 million to acquire these homes. We are appealing here for the Government to come to our rescue from the hands of the vulture fund and to acquire these units to keep each one of us there. Were it to be set up as an affordable mortgage scheme, each one of us would buy. Those who are in receipt of rental allowance could rent under any scheme the Government wishes to set up for them to enable them to remain in the community in which they have made their homes. We are presenting this proposal today for the Government to consider.

As members are aware, more than 100 houses in Tyrrelstown are coming up for sale and based on our research, this would cost the Government between €20 million and €24 million. Moreover, as the developer also owes money to the Government, that is, to a State-funded bank, why can the Government not take this money to acquire these units to keep us all in our homes to enable us to move on with our lives? We work locally and it would not look nice to throw us out and for us to end up homeless and obliged to leave where we live and work and to travel long distances to come down to Dublin to work. We are appealing today for the Government to step in and find a solution to our problem.

I will hand over to Ms Gillian Murphy, who wishes to add one or two points.