A family of four were left “sitting in a car, traumatised, in shock” after they were “cruelly and ruthlessly evicted by force” on Thursday from the home they rented in south Dublin, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has told the Dáil.
Mr Boyd Barrett also said attempts to allow the property to be purchased by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council under the tenant in situ scheme were not facilitated.
“Shortly after 9am this morning, the sheriff, 10 private security accompanied by two guards acting on behalf of Ernst and Young receivers and a bank, I’m not sure which bank, cruelly and ruthlessly evicted by force a family of four in Deputy [Neale] Richmond’s constituency [Dublin Rathdown],” the Dún Laoghaire TD said.
“Two working parents, two children, always paid their rent, did nothing wrong and Ernst and Young and a bank threw them out despite, and I want to acknowledge I was in contact with the Minister [for Housing Darragh O’Brien] and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown [council] who requested, as I did, Ernst and Young to allow the council to buy the property which the council were willing to do and Ernst and Young just said no.
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“Today as we speak, that family are sitting in a car, traumatised, in shock, the mother cannot speak, the children don’t know where they’re going to sleep tonight. It is absolutely disgusting that Ernst and Young and a bank would do that.”
The People Before Profit TD asked Minister for Finance Michael McGrath what was the Government going to do about the situation.
In response, Mr McGrath said “that sounds like a shocking situation that should never have happened”.
“I will speak with the Minister [Mr O’Brien] on it,” he said. “We will follow up, if the council have made an offer to buy the property then that should be facilitated and that is what should happen so we will follow up on this specific case.”
Mr Boyd Barrett told The Irish Times that efforts had been ongoing earlier in the week to secure the purchase of the home via Ernst and Young (EY).
Both Mr O’Brien and the local authority, according to Mr Boyd Barrett, had given assurances that full market value of the property would be made available, a move that would have allowed the family to remain in situ. He described it as being located in a modest private housing estate.
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However, EY later informed Mr Boyd Barrett in writing that the position had not changed and that a sheriff would attend the property to evict the tenants. A court order had previously been secured.
Mr Boyd Barrett said the mother, who works from home, had been in the house with one of the two children, aged 12 and 20, when the sheriff and security staff arrived. They were removed from the property and much of their possessions were locked inside, he said.
“They are absolutely in shock. She couldn’t speak, they were traumatised,” he said of their experience.
Efforts are under way to secure alternative accommodation for the family. A spokesman for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council said they would not comment on individual cases but that they provided supports to people in similar situations.
“We are aware that households in our area have received notice of terminations from their landlords and may be worried or unsure about what to do,” he said, urging people to make contact in such circumstances.
A spokesperson for EY did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
