Tenants gather at Dublin City Council to protest Tathony House evictions

A protest is taking place outside Dublin City Council (DCC) on Saturday, as families and children are among those facing eviction from the Tathony House apartment complex in Kilmainham.

100 people have gathered outside the council buildings this afternoon, after receiving eviction notices last week.

Earlier this week, residents living in Tathony House, a three-storey complex, were served eviction notices to vacate the property by the start of next June.

The owner has put the residence up for sale.

Speaking ahead of the protest, tenant James O'Toole said he was devastated to have to leave his home.

"[The DCC] should buy the block, they should prevent the mass eviction," Mr O'Toole said.

"We've all seen that the homelessness figures were up to 11,000, it's the hugest number ever.

"We're at a huge emergency now in this country — if the 100 or so people in this block are thrown into the rental market, many of them will end up in over-stretched emergency accommodation," he added.

Speaking to The Irish Times in October, Daniela Martinez, a tenant renting in Tathony House for five years, said she was also concerned about whether she would be able to afford current rental prices in the market.

"Housing is a big big situation, it is not a problem anymore, it’s an emergency. I don’t have any family here," she said.