Opposition and government party members sign letter on tenant-in-situ scheme 

More than 60% of Cork TDs and councillors have signed a letter calling for the government to provide the funding necessary to uphold commitments under the tenant-in-situ scheme and reopen it to new applicants.

Six of the 10 TDs in Cork North Central and South Central and 19 of 31 city councillors have signed the letter, with Fianna Fáil being the only party from which no members added their name. Housing minister James Browne, to whom the letter is addressed, is a Fianna Fáil TD.

The letter requests Mr Browne’s “urgent intervention in the crisis in Cork city’s Tenant in Situ scheme”, explaining that the scheme saved 79 families from homelessness in Cork city last year, and now families who are at the ‘sale agreed’ stage are at risk of the sales falling through.

This is due to funding supplied by the government, which Cork city council said last week was “insufficient” to allow them to continue the scheme this year and even honour existing commitments.

The Echo has spoken with families personally affected, who were told their house would be bought by the council and they would be a tenant for life after their landlord announced they were selling the property they had been privately renting. The families now have no idea where they will be living in months’ time.

The letter has been signed by Sinn Féin TDs Thomas Gould and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, councillors Kenneth Collins, Michelle Gould, Joe Lynch and Fiona Kerins.

Labour TD Eoghan Kenny and councillors Peter Horgan, John Maher and Ciara O’Connor have signed, along with Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice and councillor Niamh O’Connor, People Before Profit-Solidarity councillor Brian McCarthy and worker’s party councillor Ted Tynan.

Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn and his father and party colleague councillor Noel O’Flynn are among the signatures, as are independent councillors Albert Deasy, Paudie Dineen and Kieran McCarthy.

The majority of Fine Gael reps have also signed the letter – TD Colm Burke and councillors Damian Boylan, Shane O’Callaghan, Des Cahill and Gary O’Brien, though South Central TD Jerry Buttimer and councillor for the north west ward Joe Kavanagh’s signatures are absent.

Green party Lord Mayor Dan Boyle and Deputy Lord Mayor Honore Kamegni also did not sign the letter, though their party colleague Oliver Moran did.

The letter does not have any signatures from the three Fianna Fáil TDs in Cork city – Micheál Martin, Seamus McGrath and Pádraig O’Sullivan, nor have any of the party’s nine councillors signed.

Mr Gould said: “We believe that this is an issue that goes above politics. This is about empathy and compassion for those facing homelessness in Cork city.

“This was a scheme that worked and every single councillor and TD who has signed this has personally assisted families through this scheme. The Minister’s cruel and heartless decision to cut the funding and end the scheme is something we are united in opposing.” There will be an emergency meeting of Cork City Council on Tuesday night to discuss the scheme.