CATU Louth participate in all-island housing demonstration

Over 6,000 people attended an all-island housing demonstration on Saturday in Dublin City Centre organised by Community Action Tenants Union calling for public housing, cuts to rent, and an end to homelessness and exploitation of tenants. CATU Louth were among 29 CATU branches which travelled to Dublin at the weekend for a demonstration, calling for “public housing, cuts to rent, and an end to homelessness and exploitation of tenants.”

According to the group, over 80 organisations and community groups supported the demonstration, among them in the CATU Louth bloc were Dundalk Communities United, Drogheda 4 All, IPSC, Ardee Welcomes, Autism Louth and Louth For Palestine. Members and representatives of Trade Unions SIPTU and Fórsa as well as political parties, People Before Profit and Sinn Féin also formed blocs to march. 

Rachel Quigley, member of CATU Louth, stated: “This marks the first time that all branches have marched together in a demonstration of this scale. This was the culmination of many hours of organising across the whole island and represents a new departure in Ireland’s long struggle for housing justice.”

Quigley continued: “Our members travelled from across all 4 provinces to march.  We sent a clear message that Ireland’s only tenants and community union is here to stay.  We now return home to Louth to continue the work of building community resistance to a system which prioritises greed over the basic human right to shelter.  CATU demands public housing, cuts to rent, and housing policy that puts the needs of the people over landlords’ profits."

The group said: “The protest heard from a range of CATU and affiliated speakers who highlighted the multiple ways the housing crisis is playing out across the island and the impact that the Government’s market–driven approach to housing has had. 

“Crowds heard from Ber Whelan, a tenant in Cromcastle Court waiting decades for essential maintenance. Evelyn Ndidi Nwoko a CATU member living in direct provision being evicted into homelessness because they cannot find anywhere to rent in the communities where they have settled, a struggle which CATU Louth members in emergency and IPAS accommodation have faced. 

“Nora Corcoran spoke about the discrimination faced by Travellers across the island and the failure of local authorities to build Traveller appropriate accommodation that has led to Travellers being heavily over-represented in the homeless figures. 

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“Nell Buckley a CATU member in Galway spoke about the profound impacts that unregulated short term lets are having in their city, with rents rocketing by 70% as homes are drained from the local housing stock through the proliferation of airbnb. 

“Disability rights campaigner Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird talked about how the housing crisis is robbing independence from adults living with a disability who are unable to find anywhere adapted for wheelchair users. Vicky Kelly from Education Equality spoke about the impact of the housing crisis on children and children with special needs, and the urgent need for more community based supports for families.”