Nationwide protests against the rising cost of living and the housing crises will take place this weekend, it has been announced.
The Cost of Living Coalition, a group made up of students, activists unions and politicians will hold demonstrations across the country this Saturday, November 12.
There will be 20 protest sites nationwide, including 10 demonstrations in Dublin and gatherings in Carlow, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, Monaghan, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.
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People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett said that the protest will focus on the 'failure’ of the Government to address the cost of living crisis that is “really crucifying” many families across the country.
“There were no real measures to address the housing crisis in Budget 23,” he said.
“No real action to ease the pressure on renters. The big protest before the Budget showed that people are really suffering and angry about the cost of living and housing crisis.”
Sinn Féin’s Claire Kerrane said that many of the measures introduced during the Budget have already been used up.
“Budget Day has come and gone as have many of the one-off payments some households have received,” she said.
“The cost of living is getting worse and this Government has not done enough. Take energy - the only support households will receive this side of Christmas is one €200 payment.
“After that, they are at the whim of energy companies and many workers and families will have no support whatsoever. We need people to keep the pressure on the government to tackle the cost of living.”
The Social Democrats’ housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan, meanwhile, hit out at the Government’s housing record and criticised the fact that many people are either “trapped” paying rent or are “stuck” living with their parents.
He also branded the Government’s housing targets and promises “vague”.
Mr BoydBarrett noted that despite the Government’s move to bring in a ban on evictions, a number of people who received notices to quit before the ban was reintroduced still face being made homeless.
The Dun Laoghaire TD said that he is dealing with three families who are facing “imminent homelessness” as they have to move out of their rented accommodation.
He claimed that one constituent has had to hand back her keys to her landlord on Tuesday morning and has not been offered emergency accommodation elsewhere by the local authority.
“Anybody who received a notice to quit or an eviction date prior to the emergency period defined in the Government's deferment and tenancies bail can still be evicted,’ Mr Boyd Barrett said.
“[It is] difficult to quantify but [there are] very significant numbers of people who face the possibility of being put out on the street or made homeless.”
The eviction ban introduced by the Government applies if a tenant has a termination date that falls between October 30 2022 and March 31 2022.
It includes notice of terminations issued before October 30 but is only applicable if a tenant has been told they need to move out between the specified dates.
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