Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

For one and a half years, the residents of Leeside Apartments in Cork fought attempts by their vulture fund landlord to evict them into homelessness. Late last week, the residents discovered that they had been victorious when news broke that the apartments had been purchased by the Clúid housing association and that in addition to those 13 families keeping a roof over their heads, a further 59 families are to be taken off Cork City Council housing waiting lists and provided with new homes at Leeside.

The programme for Government promises improved tenants' rights. This was discussed by the residents when I met them last Friday night. They sent messages of solidarity to the residents of Exchange Hall in Tallaght, who are facing similar circumstances, and they asked me to send a message to the Dáil. The message is simply that they wish that no other group of residents should ever have to go through what they have gone through with their families and children over the past eight months and that the Dáil should, as a matter of urgent priority, pass legislation to ban the practice of evicting people, including families and children, into homelessness. What does the Minister say in response to the residents' appeal, request and message?

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