Landlord must halt eviction of elderly residents in Sligo retirement village
Landlord must halt eviction of elderly residents in Sligo retirement village - The Labour Party
Labour Senator Nessa Cosgrove has today called for urgent intervention to stop the eviction of elderly and disabled residents from the Sonas Retirement Village in Enniscrone, Co Sligo, after six households were served Notices of Termination by their landlord, Nasso BK Holdings Ltd. Senator Cosgrove said Sligo County Council must act immediately to protect vulnerable tenants by compulsorily purchasing the homes, and urged the landlord to revoke the eviction notices without delay.
Senator Cosgrove said:
“What we are seeing in Enniscrone is shocking and completely unacceptable. Over recent weeks, we have seen mass evictions across the country, now we are facing the eviction of older and disabled residents from a retirement village that was specifically designed to meet their needs. These are single-storey homes with wheelchair access, wetrooms and supports that allow people to live safely and with dignity. To remove people from these homes at this stage of their lives is cruel and unjust.
“I visited some of the affected tenants last week, including Frank and Elizabeth. Frank is 88 years old, a wheelchair user living with dementia. Elizabeth, aged 84, has been his full-time carer for years. They showed me the records they have carefully kept, including correspondence confirming their tenancy. At no point did they believe that their home would be taken from them. The fear and uncertainty they are now facing is something no older person should ever have to endure.
“Six households have been served these notices. Every one of them moved into Sonas Retirement Village with the reasonable expectation that this would be their home for life. This situation highlights a wider failure in our housing system. We provide purpose-built accommodation for students, yet we have no equivalent long-term, secure housing model for older people. That is a glaring gap that Government continues to ignore.
“There is also a clear link between these evictions and the market rent reset provisions introduced by Government. These rules are creating an incentive for landlords to evict sitting tenants in order to maximise profit, whether through sale or re-letting at higher rents. That is driving instability and insecurity for tenants across the country.
“When I first heard about these evictions, I assumed they were the actions of an international investment fund. I was genuinely shocked to discover that Irish-owned businesses are behind this decision. That makes this situation even more stark. There are real people making these choices, and they must take responsibility for the harm they are causing.
“It is not too late for those involved to show basic humanity. They can and should revoke these Notices of Termination immediately and allow these residents to remain in their homes in peace.”
“If the landlord refuses to act, then Government must step in. The Minister for Housing must provide the funding required for Sligo County Council to compulsorily purchase these homes and keep these residents where they belong. No elderly or disabled person should face eviction from a home designed for their care. Government cannot stand over this. It must act now.”