Cork City Council endorses Raise the Roof rally

Cork City Council has officially endorsed the Raise the Roof rally next month, which will see people take to the streets of Cork city to call for action on housing.

A motion co-signed by Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gould, the Green Party’s Dan Boyle, Social Democrats’ Niamh O’Connor, and People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Brian McCarthy was discussed at this week’s council meeting by members of their parties as well as the three Labour councillors and the Workers’ Party’s Ted Tynan.

The motion called on the council to recognise that “the housing crisis remains the biggest barrier to stability, security, happiness and independence for far too many families, workers and individuals in Cork city.

“The cost of living, coupled with unaffordable housing and rental costs, has negatively impacted on people’s ability to enjoy Cork city as a place to live, work, study, and play.

“Workers and families in Cork deserve emergency action on housing to deliver a better future” and “everybody who calls Cork home deserves a home of their own”.

The motion also asked councillors to agree to formally endorse the Raise the Roof rally on October 4, which will assemble at Grand Parade at 2.30pm, and encourage all communities, families, and individuals to attend the rally.

Fianna Fáil councillor Colm Kelleher said at the meeting that “no one would disagree housing is the major issue and the topic of our time, I support the crux of the motion but I do believe that it’s a political rally”, while defending his party’s record on housing.

He acknowledged that it is “alarming” that housing commencements are down, but said he plans to raise this with housing minister James Browne.

However, Labour’s John Maher said: “This is not just a party-driven rally, it is unions, colleges, young people, old people.”

He added that he has been a councillor for seven years and in that time the numbers of homeless people “just go up and up and up”.

The motion went to a vote, and all councillors except for Independent Albert Deasy voted in favour.