A couple who have five children under the age of five and are facing eviction from their home in west Dublin next month have said it is “an absolute nightmare” trying to find somewhere to live.
Benjamin and Dorina Ros have rented a two-bedroom house in Lucan since 2018 for €1,400 per month and are supported by HAP (the Housing Assistance Payment).
They were notified in November 2021 that their landlady was planning to sell the house and have to leave the property on May 1st.
The couple, who are originally from Romania, have five children: Matei (4), twins Kivah and Emma (3), Medeea (2) and Melissa (1).
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Mr Ros, who has lived in Ireland since 2001, works as an engineer while Ms Ros, who moved in 2008, gave up working as a childminder to care for Emma, who has level four cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
The couple have been offered emergency accommodation in a B&B by South Dublin County Council but say it is not suitable due to the “huge amount of equipment” Emma requires to function.
“I have been sending hundreds of emails trying to find somewhere to rent,” Mr Ros said. “Whenever I tell them how many children we have, I don’t hear back.
“It is the same with HAP, when I don’t mention HAP in emails we get more responses, when I mention HAP, I might get one response out of 50 emails.
“We are trying to stay positive for the sake of our health. We’re just trying to not get burdened by this ... The landlady was good to us, we got on very well, she never raised the rent in the nearly five years we were there. This situation is not her fault.”
Despite sending hundreds of emails, Mr Ros said he had secured only one viewing and the landlord did not show up.
“It is very stressful for us, especially for Dorina. Many times she is crying in the kitchen and at night when we’re discussing it,” he said.
Ms Ros said she and her husband have been finding their situation “very difficult”. She said she has lived in Lucan for 15 years and had developed “roots” there and would now likely have to change the preschool her children are in and the GP she attends with Emma.
“It’s an absolute nightmare. It’s a very sensitive time for Emma, for a child with cerebral palsy, she needs all the equipment,” she said.
“I’ve been asking the council what would happen to the equipment and if we have to move around, it’s horrendous what could happen to her ... Emma needs her equipment every day.
“She has a number of appointments every week and they are very important, what will happen to them if we go into emergency accommodation. They could be in Temple Street, Crumlin hospital ... they are all over the place.
“I am super stressed, my health is affected a lot. I’m only 33 years old and my mental health is being affected a lot.
“Sometimes I’m just thinking I wish I could wake up and that [the] situation could be different. It is awful. Nobody deserves this and my heart is with all of the people in our situation.”
The case was raised in the Dáil on Wednesday by Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward, who asked where were the family to go.
“[Taoiseach] Leo Varadkar talks about people getting up early, these people are getting up early, they are going to work, they are doing all the right things and still they are faced with this,” Mr Ward said to The Irish Times.
