'People in our community are homeless, couch surfing and unable to afford rent'

A west Donegal community has come together to highlight what they say is the Donegal County Council’s failure to build an adequate number of houses within the Glenties Municipal District.

A protest is planned this Thursday, July 25, at 5pm at the council office at An Clochán Liath.

"We will not be quiet while people in our community are homeless, couch surfing, and unable to afford the cost of rent in socio-economically deprived communities like ours,” Rachel Ní Ghallachóir from Loch an Iúir, a spokesperson for the newly formed housing action campaign called Tóg Tithe, said.

"On Thursday, we will be gathering outside the Council office at An Clochán Liath to highlight the urgent need for homes to be built in the Glenties Municipal District.

"Over the past five years, the council has only built six houses in the Glenties Municipal District. This is simply not good enough, especially when homelessness in the northwest has reached record highs this year."

"The housing crisis in the 26 counties has been ongoing for several years, and the situation is now dire. We hear horror stories all the time, and the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael-led government has allowed this to happen so that the people at the very top can profit from this situation.

"As the government is not taking action for the above reason, we as a community need to raise our voices and demand change.

"It's not good enough that the council has only built six houses in the last five years within this municipal district. It's not good enough that Airbnb is not regulated and that rent prices have been driven up by high demand and limited supply.

"Housing is a fundamental human right. By coming together, we hope to put real pressure on Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the council to take action. We urge everyone to join us on Thursday to make our voices heard and demand that Donegal County Council prioritize building more homes for our community.

"Join us in this crucial protest to support the demand for more homes and fairer housing policies in Donegal and the 26 counties."