by Alan Jacques
“I WILL never forget the 1916 Centenary and that’s for sure.”
These were the words of a despondent Limerick father-of-six, who this Easter Week finds himself desperately trying to find an affordable home for himself and his young family.
46-year-old Damian Sheehan and his partner of 23 years, Alison Coffey (42), are at their wits end in an effort to secure a new home for themselves and their children.
Along with their children, Morgan (7), Dhannon (8), Ronan (10), Emily (13), Callum (15) and Conor (17), they must leave their rented home at St Munchin’s Drive in Shannon Banks next week as the owner is selling it.
If they can’t secure housing by Friday, April 1, they will be moved into emergency B&B accommodation.
The landlord informed them last June that he intended to sell the house and they would need to secure new accommodation. Mr Sheehan describes his landlord as a “lovely guy” who bent over backwards to help him, even allowing three extensions on the date to vacate the property since last November.
However, the unemployed construction worker, who this year deferred his final year of a Civil Engineering Degree at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) to try find suitable housing, says he never believed that they would be left without a home.
Damian now finds himself under huge pressure and said he feels “demented” from the stress of not being able to provide a home for his children.
“We had been living in the house since we returned from London in 2009 and we love it. We have made it our home and never thought we could find ourselves in this position,” he told the Limerick Post.
“Our rent was originally €650 per month and the community welfare officer said the landlord would have to bring it down to €500 as that was our cap for rent allowance, so he did. He has been very good to us and has thrown us those lifelines. He’s not making a cent from renting out the house in fairness to him.
“The Council have told us that it would be illegal to put us into a three-bed property because of overcrowding, as there is eight of us, and they currently have no four-beds available. They say the best they can do for us is B&B accommodation.”
According to Mr Sheehan, himself and his partner have been on the housing list since July 2009. They have also been searching for a rental property in Limerick since last June but to no avail.
“There are currently nine four-bed properties to rent in the whole of Limerick. I rang about one this morning and the man asked me was I working or would I be in need of government subsidies. He cleverly didn’t even ask me if I was on rent allowance as it’s illegal to turn us down on those grounds.
“The other houses are extortionate prices between €900 and €1,500 per month. The rents were that high in London back in 2009, it’s total madness,” he said.
He has spoken to several local councillors and TDs, even driving up to Minister Alan Kelly’s office in Nenagh to seek help, but claims that no one has to date done anything for him.
“I feel very aggrieved. All these politicians came knocking at my door in the run up to the General Election and they promised us the sun, moon and stars. We never heard from any of them again.
“I am really angry with the council as they have done absolutely nothing. One council official even suggested that my eldest son would be 18 soon and would be responsible for himself, but I will be responsible for all my children until the day I die.
“The council isn’t buying houses or building them, so how are things ever going to improve? If you have no socks you can’t pull them up.”
As the clock ticks down to April 1, Mr Sheehan and his partner are dreading the prospect of having to move into B&B emergency accommodation.
“I’m not a drinker, but this situation would drive you to drink. My children come first, they are my responsibility, and I don’t know how I am going to explain to them next week that we no longer have a home.
“We have two first communions coming up next month. One of our boys is doing his Junior Cert this year and another doing his Leaving Cert next year. How are we supposed to live like a family in B&B accommodation? How are we to cook and wash clothes and have a place for the kids to do their homework? This is not what we came home to Ireland for!”
Novas’ Family Support Service in Limerick City says they are accepting referrals at unprecedented levels. The service, which has a capacity of 40 families per month, is currently supporting 50 families in the city, who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
