Taghmon eviction must be stopped - Aontu

Jim Codd, an Aontu rep in the Rosslare LEA, has called on the County Council to show compassion and halt the eviction of a young man from his family home in Taghmon. Thomas Fitzgerald faces eviction from his family home on the basis of an antiquated rule from a council tied up in legal jargon, Mr Codd said.

“Thomas Fitzgerald grew up and lived all but one year of his life in number 6 Monastery Avenue,” Mr Codd said. “He stayed nearby after moving out and regularly stayed over night with his parents when they both fell into bad health. Mr Fitzgerald moved back in permanently to care for his mother after the death of his father. He should be given a medal for doing so, not an eviction notice.”

“Mr Fitzgerald informed the County Council of the change of circumstances following the death of his mother. He never missed a rent payment and was the perfect tenant. Yet, because of an antiquated rule, the Council has deemed it fit to evict him from his family home. When challenged on the unfairness of this, they had the audacity to take the high moral ground and claim they couldn’t break the rules because there were 2500 people on the housing list in Wexford. Yet they only bothered building 21 council houses last year!”

“The eviction of Thomas Fitzgerald will mark a new low for our local administration. Throwing people out of their homes is something that the Irish have always opposed. It was a deciding factor in our national struggle and to have compassionate local politicians claim that this is some morally justified act to ease the housing crisis at a time when no real effort is being made to build either social or affordable homes in this county is scandalous.”