A young mum has said she just wants a place to call home for her two children as they face their third Christmas in emergency accommodation.
Margaret Maughan, from Ennis, Co Clare, said she is afraid to unpack or put up a tree as they may have to move again tomorrow.
The 27-year-old, along with her son Kevin, eight, and seven-year-old Shakira, have already been placed in seven different emergency accommodation locations since January.
The family was featured on the front of the Irish Mirror this time last year when Kevin asked for Batman toys for Christmas in a heartbreaking letter to Santa – and their plight was even discussed in the Dail.
But Margaret said “not a thing has changed” since then and added: “We are still going from pillar to post and are still in the same situation.”
The desperate mum said she just wants somewhere to call “home” for her kids who are suffering with anxiety due to a lack of stability.
Margaret told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “This will be my children’s third Christmas in emergency
accommodation.
“We are currently in an Air BnB and the landlord is extremely nice, but the way it is, if he gets a booking, we have to leave.
“I was lucky enough that people stopped going away due to Covid, so the owner said we could stay here, but once things start back up and he gets busy we will have to go.
“We will be back to living in a hotel.
“Since January we have been in seven different types of emergency accomodation, from B&Bs to hotels.”
And Margaret said she hasn’t put up any Christmas decorations as they might have to leave their current accommodation at any time.
She added: “Last year, we were in a B&B – I knew we were going to be there for Christmas, so we got a little tree and did our best.
“But this year we really don’t know when we are going to be leaving this Air BnB. There is no security. I have no tree up as it’s pointless putting one up because we could be asked to leave tomorrow.
“We are currently living out of black bags and boxes, there’s no point in unpacking.
“My children are full of anxiety – they are missing out on so much and it’s so unfair.
“I feel bad for that and blame myself, but it’s not for the lack of trying. I’m trying constantly to get us a home.
“We are blessed where we are at the moment because I can cook. My kids can have food cooked for them and don’t have to eat chips and takeaway.
“They call their room here their ‘room’, but it’s not and could be gone tomorrow.”
She continued: “There’s no end in sight for us at the moment. We just want a place we can call home.
“Somewhere that my children would be comfortable. For such young kids they are so full of anxiety, they don’t know where they are going to be tomorrow.
“They shouldn’t have the worries that they do. They have been homeless since they were three and four-years-old. They can’t remember having their own home.
“They haven’t written their lists to Santa yet. I told them that because of Covid they are only able to get surprises. That’s the way it has to be this year.”
And she told how the Government have done nothing to address the homeless
situation despite the pandemic leading to even more people losing their homes.
Margaret said: “The Government doesn’t care. It has been all empty promises from them.
“I know we are living through a global pandemic and that has put an awful lot of setbacks on everything, but even without Covid this Government wasn’t doing anything.
“Now more than ever the homeless situation is at an all-time high, too.
“What makes it harder this year are there are so many more homeless people who have lost their jobs due to Covid and ended up not being able to afford their homes.
“I feel for all those people because I know how it is, my heart goes out to them.
“There are so many more homeless families this year. People from every background can become homeless.”
And she called on the Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to meet with her and see the situation her family is in.
Margaret added: “They will not meet me or any homeless person to discuss the current situation.
“The Government needs to pull the finger out and start addressing this problem.
“Kick the boards off houses that have them and put homeless people in them.
“We were living in our own rented house but the landlord sold it and we couldn’t find anything within our HAP entitlements.
“Rental prices are just crazy.”
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it’s “shocking and shameful” that young children should have to face Christmas in emergency accommodation.
He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “The homeless crisis has been running for seven years at this stage and the Government promises and policies have come to nothing.
“There’s huge suffering for families and children which is inexcusable.”
