By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News Housing Crisis Desk | Saturday 6 July 2025, Dublin
Hundreds of demonstrators marched through Dublin on Saturday in a coordinated all-island protest against what organisers called the “institutional failure” of both the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to tackle rising homelessness and deepening housing inequality.
The rally, organised by the Community Action Tenants’ Union (CATU), began at the Garden of Remembrance and culminated at Leinster House. The event drew support from a range of opposition parties, trade unions, housing activists and community groups, who collectively called for urgent government action on both sides of the border.
In a statement issued ahead of the march, CATU accused ministers in both jurisdictions of displaying an “inability and lack of commitment to addressing homelessness and housing inequality”.
The protest came amid growing public concern over a record number of families in emergency accommodation in the Republic of Ireland and continued housing shortages across Northern Ireland.
CATU specifically criticised the recent move by the Irish Government to weaken the tenant-in-situ scheme, a policy intended to prevent homelessness by allowing local authorities to purchase rental homes occupied by tenants at risk of eviction.
Changes to rent control measures were also condemned, with activists warning that the modifications could lead to further displacement and housing insecurity.
“Whether it’s being evicted from your home with a few weeks’ notice, or seeing your children emigrate due to lack of affordable housing, hardly anyone on this island has not been affected by the years of disastrous housing policy,” the union said.
The demonstration marks one of the first coordinated all-island housing protests, highlighting shared challenges in both jurisdictions — from spiralling rents and insufficient public housing to overcrowded emergency accommodation and long waiting lists.
Housing campaigners have vowed to escalate their efforts over the summer, warning that the worsening crisis demands immediate and sustained policy responses from both Dublin and Belfast.
Editing by M10News Housing Desk | Contact: info@m10news.com
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