Over 1,000 people took to the streets of Cork demanding urgent action to tackle Ireland’s deepening housing crisis.
The protest, part of the nationwide Raise the Roof campaign, included trade unions, political parties, and community groups united in frustration at the lack of affordable housing. SIPTU,
Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, and the Community Action Tenants Union were among the groups present. Activists highlighted the irony of thousands of derelict and vacant homes across the country while families remain homeless.
Labour Senator Laura Harmon warned that Ireland is losing vital workers like nurses and teachers due to soaring housing costs, calling the crisis the biggest threat to the economy.
Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice and Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould echoed calls for a complete overhaul of Government policy. Protestors agree: the solution exists the political will to act does not.
