Looming eviction ‘very worrying’ for residents in Ballinamore

The planned eviction of residents at the Carraig Accommodation Centre in Ballinamore last Friday (July 26) has been postponed.

A new eviction date is undetermined, however the community are adamant they want the residents to stay.

Newly elected Sinn Fein councillor in the Ballinamore Municipal District, Róisín Kenny, received two letters from community groups expressing concern that families, some of whom are living in the community since 2019, will be evicted.

The letters came from the Ballinamore Town Team and 33 other community groups in the south Leitrim town, all of whom asked for the eviction date to be cancelled entirely.

They also asked that families be allowed remain in their current homes until they find suitable accommodation and that IPAS, the Department of Justice, and the Housing Department of Leitrim County Council, work together to help the local community find solutions to keep the families living in the area.

One letter asked the authorities to consider if the families can rent at the Carraig Accommodation Centre until they find a suitable home.

Cllr Kenny says the residents received notice in April. They were due to be evicted on July 26, but this has now been postponed.

“Nobody knows for how long and it’s still a very worrying situation,” she said, adding that most residents want to remain in the community but are finding it “very difficult” to find suitable alternative nearby accommodation.

Accommodation shortage

“They have all registered with Leitrim County Council and are trying their best to get alternative accommodation but obviously that’s difficult because there’s already a big waiting list there for council houses.”

She says it is not the residents’ fault there is “such a shortage of accommodation”.

“That’s just the way it is and and I suppose they just have to try their best to find alternatives,” added Cllr Kenny.

Those affected either have refugee status or permission to remain here in Ireland.

“This is why they are being moved on because they want to make room for other asylum seekers to come in to replace them in the centre. It’s not a matter that the centre would be left empty,” explained Cllr Kenny.

“Their children are in school in the area, a lot of them are working in the area,” she added.

“They’re all very well integrated into the community and would like to stay in the Ballinamore area.”