Labour demands urgent action after eviction notices served on families in Ballybane apartments
Labour demands urgent action after eviction notices served on families in Ballybane apartments - The Labour Party
- 14 families served with eviction notices
Labour’s Councillor Helen Ogbu has called for urgent Government intervention after 14 families in Ballybane in Galway were served with eviction notices at Cúirt Eigis apartments on the Ballybane Road.
Labour’s housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD warned that the case raises serious questions and called on Government to examine the situation immediately and ensure that every legal safeguard available to tenants is fully enforced.
Councillor Ogbu, Labour’s candidate in the Galway West bye-election, said:
“To hear that 14 Notices of Termination have been issued is deeply troubling. Behind every one of those notices is a family, a worker, a child in a local school, a person who has built their life here in Galway and who now faces the very real prospect of losing their home.
“The tenants at Cúirt Eigis on the Ballybane Road have been told that the complex is to undergo a major renovation. Some of the families living there have called these apartments home for as long as 18 years. They are part of the fabric of the Ballybane community. To now face eviction after nearly two decades in their homes is devastating.
“Galway already struggles with a severe housing shortage and soaring rents. Families cannot simply pick up and find another affordable home at short notice. There aren’t affordable options sitting idle in this city. When eviction notices arrive in large numbers, the consequences spread far beyond the households directly affected. The ripple effect is felt across the entire community.
“My clinic is open and available to anyone affected by these eviction notices and I will continue to work with tenants to ensure they understand their rights and receive every support possible.”
Deputy Sheehan said:
“This is now the third large scale eviction situation we have seen and the question must be asked: how many of these are we going to see before Government takes responsibility?
“Government cannot act like these situations are isolated incidents. They are happening in the wake of the rental legislation introduced in March 2026 and ministers must confront the consequences of the system they have created.
“We already know that more than 5,000 eviction notices were issued within a three month period last year. When you look at Ireland’s historical record, that figure alone is deeply revealing. It shows a rental system that is under extreme strain and families who are living with constant insecurity about whether they will be able to remain in their homes.
“What is happening in Ballybane is not just a local issue. It reflects a broader failure in housing policy that is leaving renters exposed and communities destabilised.
“Government must step in immediately, investigate these cases in full, enforce every protection available to tenants, and ensure that families are not pushed out of their homes because of loopholes or weak enforcement. The Minister for Housing cannot continue to ignore these eviction crises as they emerge across the country. We need an immediate ban on no-fault evictions for a start. Families in Ballybane and renters across Ireland need decisive action now.”