Cork Rally Demands Urgent Action on Housing Crisis

Hundreds of people rallied in Cork, demanding immediate government intervention to tackle homelessness and the escalating housing crisis. The demonstration, part of the Raise the Roof campaign, echoed similar calls for action, highlighting growing public frustration and the urgent need for solutions.

Protest Draws Hundreds

Approximately 1,000 people took to the streets this afternoon in Cork to protest the housing situation. The rally, organized by the Raise the Roof campaign, followed a prior demonstration in Dublin last Tuesday. It united a coalition of trade unions and opposition political parties to amplify their message to the government.

Among the unions present were SIPTU, Fórsa, and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. Joe Kelly of the Cork Council of Trade Unions expressed his satisfaction with the turnout, emphasizing the demand for governmental housing policy changes. He stated that many workers across various sectors find themselves unable to afford housing, despite their employment.

Voices of Frustration

Representatives from Sinn Féin, the Green Party, the Labour Party, and the Social Democrats, along with members from People Before Profit, the Socialist Party, the Irish Traveller Movement, and Derelict Ireland, participated in the march. Jude Sherry and Frank O’Connor from Derelict Ireland displayed a banner featuring images of abandoned homes from around the country.

“The whole of the country is crumbling. Every town, village and city has vacant and derelict properties in it.

—Jude Sherry, Derelict Ireland

Laura Harmon, a Labour Senator, stressed that the government must act to build houses, as key workers are leaving the country due to the housing crisis. Pádraig Rice, a Social Democrat TD, asserted the government’s housing policies had failed, necessitating change. According to recent data, the average rent in Dublin has increased by 8.3% year-on-year, illustrating the severity of the issue (Daft.ie Report).

Call for Change

Thomas Gould of Sinn Féin summarized the rally’s message: we need homes, and we need them now. The demonstrations in Cork and Dublin reflect a growing demand for swift and effective solutions to alleviate the housing crisis.