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HOUSING FURY

Tearful Dublin mum facing homelessness this week reveals daughter, 6, keeps asking same heartbreaking question

After the evaluation in February, the Council repeatedly told the mother that the process was ongoing and there were no issues

• Published: 18:04, 3 Apr 2024
• Updated: 18:36, 3 Apr 2024

• Published: Invalid Date,

A MUM and her six-year-old daughter could be made homeless this week after their local council pulled out of the tenant and situ scheme leaving them with nowhere to go.

The Irish Sun today reveals serious concerns with the scheme in the Minister’s own constituency of Fingal in Dublin.

It sees local authorities buy properties where tenants face being evicted because a landlord is selling the property.

Niamh Cumiskey and her six-year-old daughter Willow had been living in an apartment in Holywell, Swords in Dublin for five years when their landlord informed them in October of plans to sell up.

Fingal County Council were the first to inform Niamh about the tenant-in-situ scheme after she contacted them with the local authority keen to buy the property and keep them in it.

After the evaluation in February, the Council repeatedly told Niamh that the process was ongoing and there were no issues.

Then her landlord called to let Niamh know that the Council will not buy the apartment.

After getting another week’s grace from her landlord, Niamh and Willow now face the prospect of having nowhere to go by the end of the week.

She told the Irish Sun: “They told me to contact Focus Ireland and I just started crying.

“I was supposed to be out last Friday and I asked the landlord if there was any chance she could give me one more week and she did.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do come Friday.

“If it was just me that would be one thing but my daughter is only six.

“She’s aware of what’s going on and she asks ‘are we not staying in this house mammy’.”

In a separate case, a landlord trying to sell his property to Fingal Council through the scheme told the Irish Sun he has faced issues.

The property passed its HAP inspection in February which means the Council is happy to continue to pay the landlord HAP for tenants.

However, just weeks later Fingal Council pulled out citing issues with the the building and a fire audit.

The landlord told the Irish Sun: “They are saying that the property is fine for the taxpayer to pay to rent it through HAP but it’s not good enough to be bought.”

Local TD Louise O’Reilly told the Irish Sun: “One year on from the government’s lifting of the eviction ban, the council should be making every effort to ensure that every action is taken to prevent families becoming homeless.”Fingal County Council claimed there are various reasons why the Council may not buy a home in the tenant in situ scheme.A spokesperson for the Department of Housing said authorities have independence to deal with issues as they arise.